Rising Flames
by WorldsApartx
Summary: Lucy May has met her soulfinder and her music career is finally taking off after years of hard work. But will everything she's worked hard for survive when a terrorist group of savants start to fight for power, destroying anything in their path? (OC/OC pairing with some Sky/Zed)
1. The Beginning

_**AN:**_ **This follows on from my other Finding Sky story titled Saving Sky. You do not need to have read it to read this one, but if you'd like a little more background about the main character, Lucy, then feel free to read from Chapter 59 onwards as there's some interaction between Lucy, Willow (her cousin) and Ed. Enjoy! (Oh and I imagine Lucy to look like Nina Dobrev, just with greeny blue eyes instead.)**

 **xx-xx-xx**

The lights went down on the stage and I took a deep breath as the crowd screamed and my band walked on to take their places. The lights went up and they started playing the intro of my song...You're probably wondering how I got here, about to perform to thousands of people at a concert venue in Camden, London. Two months ago, I never would have believed it either. Everything in my life had changed in a short period of time and there was no going back.

My name is Lucy May and I'm twenty-two years old. I grew up on the South Coast of England, just outside of Brighton, with my parents. I'm an only child, but I've never felt like one. My cousin, Willow, was born just six months before me and was practically my sister. Our mums were always close and it was heartbreaking for mine when Willow's dad got a job in the US when we were nine and they had to move away. Willow, of course, was sociable so she made loads of new friends in Texas, including Selena, who is now breaking the charts. I see her at least twice a year, whether she is coming here or I am going to her but things haven't always been easy between us; Willow is able to pick up any skill straight after watching someone do it. She can play piano, dance, perform gymnastics and even write fantastic magazine articles and interviews, which is now her job. Yes, she's talented, but there's more to it... this is Willow's savant ability. Mine, however, is not as fantastic. I can sense when something bad is going to happen. I sensed when my granddad was going to die, for example, and that is something that makes me hate my ability. There have been benefits though, as my ability was the reason I met my soulfinder...

 _Two months ago..._

 _The fans were chanting for Ed Sheeran as I sat in the box waiting for Willow to finish 'working.' It was hardly working; she was interviewing_ the _Ed Sheeran for her magazine. My best friend Leanne was going to be so jealous. My stomach growled so I gave in, deciding to get some food. I left the box and someone knocked into me. I looked at the person who had crashed into me and was surprised to see a man dressed in all black with dark hair with reddish tinges and piercing green eyes._

 _'I do apologise.' He said, his voice smooth._

 _'It's okay, I wasn't looking where I was going.' I replied, knowing it was definitely his fault._

 _He reached down to retrieve my notebook, where my songs were written, which was on the floor. 'Here, you dropped this.'_

 _'Thank you.'_

 _I quickly walked away from him, the bile rising in my throat as it often did when something bad was going to happen. Evil surrounded this man and I did not want to wait to find out why. The nausea continued all through the concert and I knew Willow was worried. I shrugged her off, wanting her to enjoy it so she was able to review it properly. I spotted the man not sat too far away from us and I realised that as Sky Bright, Ed's support act, performed he was far more involved than he was with Ed Sheeran's set. As soon as the concert was over, he stood on his feet and I followed him, despite Willow trying to stop me._

 _Following him wasn't easy and I lost him as I tried to walk through the screaming fans in their t-shirts as they looked out for their parents picking them up or tried to make their way to the bus station. I looked around, uncertain, and then I found myself being led to an alleyway. I wasn't sure if it was my ability or instinct, but it had to be something._

 _My eyes widened when I saw Sky Bright, petite and frightened with the villain towering above her._

 _'You know me... when I set my mind to something, I do it. Remember your ability? It came in handy when I was locked away. The guards weren't as powerful as they thought. Nor was anyone that worked in that building. I walked straight out and they weren't able to stop me. I was able to board a plane by pretending I had already shown them my passport. It worked a treat, you know, training you up to use your ability against the President. It's just made me more powerful.' The man leant down and kissed Sky on the cheek, before whispering, 'and with your new fame, you've become quite easy to track, haven't you?' She shivered. 'Now you need to come with me so that no one is hurt. After all, we are supposed to be together.'_

 _I had to do something, but what? He was a powerful savant and he was clearly dangerous. He said something else to her before growling and hitting her head against the fire exit. The adrenaline kicked in._

 _'Get off of her!'_

 _He turned to face me in surprise as Sky called out to me, 'run! You have no idea what he is capable of!'_

 _'We've already met.' The man said, his voice sly._

 _'And I don't know why I didn't do this then!' I replied, tackling him to the ground before I could stop myself._

 _He pushed me against the wall, his breath smelling like stale cigarettes. 'You know, you're quite pretty really.'_

 _'Get the fuck off of me.' I hissed, trying to knee him in the privates but his hand moved quickly and pushed me out of the way. 'I said get the fuck off!' He was thrown backwards, hitting his head on the ground._

 _He looked up at me in surprise. 'Who are you?'_

 _'Does it matter?' I smirked, despite wondering how I had caused him to throw backwards. I looked over at Sky in panic, realising she was drifting towards unconciousness._

 _Troy carefully got to his feet and I pushed him against the wall, holding him in his place._

 _'Oh my god, Sky! Security!'_

 _Without letting go of the man's throat, I turned my head in the direction of the voice. Ed Sheeran._

What the hell happened?

 _My eyes widened at his voice in my head and I lost concentration. Troy tackled me to the ground._

 _'Oh, shit.' Ed hurried over, shoving the guy off of me. They stood in a stand-off and that's when I heard the bullets sound. I looked to the end of the alleyway and saw three huge guys, who looked quite similar. Then my mind slipped elsewhere. Ed had been in my head._

 _I looked over at him, where he was knelt beside Sky, applying pressure to her head. He had no idea I'd heard him before._

Come on Sky, an ambulance is on the way.

 _'Here.' I walked over to him, despite my shaking legs, and I passed him my leather jacket. He held it against her head._

 _'Thanks.'_

 _'Lucy?!'_

 _I looked across the alleyway where my cousin was stood._

 _'You can't come in here.' One of the men told her but she wasn't having any of it._

 _'That's my cousin you idiot. Now let me through.' She hissed and he stepped aside. She ran over and pulled me into a hug. 'Don't you dare do that to me again!' She looked at the man on the floor, who was unconscious and covered in blood. 'Oh my god.'_

 _'An ambulance and the FBI are on the way.' One of the dark haired men told me. 'You're going to have to make a statement but you need to go to hospital first.'_

 _'I'm fine.' I frowned and my forehead hurt._

 _My cousin rolled her eyes at me. 'Luce, you have a cut on your forehead and your nose is bleeding. Stop being so damn stubborn for once in your life.'_

So that was the night I'd met my soulfinder; Ed Sheeran, someone I'd never expected to be a savant. I'd also made a good friend that night; Sky Bright. She was grateful for what I had done and was always reminding me of it. Ed found out that I was his soulfinder in the hospital and he was surprised to say the least. We hung out a few times with Willow before I headed back to England, telling my parents that my stitches were because my clumsiness had caused me to fall down the stairs. Then I had a surprise not too long after my arrival back in my cutesy flat in Brighton...

 _My day had been pretty crap so far. I'd been made redundant after the music store I worked in had announced it was closing down. On the bright side, though, I'd planned to go for a night out with my girl friends; Leanne, my bestie, and Adrianna. We'd met through work a few years back and we'd been inseperable since._

 _After cooking some spaghetti bolognese for one, I changed into my outfit for the evening. I opted for my black high-waisted leather skirt and a red and white polka dot crop top. Every now and then, I liked to indulge in a little bit of Rockerbilly, especially as the fifties was a guilty pleasure of mine. I curled my hair and applied my usual winged eye-liner and red lipstick, smiling in the mirror when I was done. Not bad, it would do fine. I slipped on my black shoe boots just as the doorbell rang._

 _'You're early!'_

 _'Am I?'_

 _I looked at the person in the doorway feeling confused; Ed Sheeran. 'Sorry, I thought you were someone else.'_

' _Erm, ouch?' He grinned, playfully. He looked me up and down, taking in my outfit. 'Are you going on a date?'_

 _'No, of course not.' I laughed. 'I can't remember the last date I actually was asked on.' I realised we were still in the doorway, where my neighbours could earwig and I was sure they happily would. 'Come in.' I stepped to the side and he walked into my apartment._

 _'Nice place.' He commented with a smile, looking around._

 _'So what brings you to my neck of the woods?' I asked, closing the door as Ed sat down on one of my sofas._

 _'I wanted to come and see you.' He smiled, shyly, and it made my heart flutter. 'I thought it would be a nice surprise.'_

 _If I hadn't made plans with the girls... I cursed in my head. 'It is.'_

 _'But you've already got plans.'_

 _'You could come with us?' I offered. 'I'm sure my friends won't mind?'_

 _The doorbell rang and I cursed, inwardly. Why were they always exactly on time? From what I'd read in magazines, girlfriends were supposed to be late but these two were always right on time._

 _'Are you getting that?' Ed laughed._

 _'Erm.. yes.' I stood up as the doorbell rang again and headed over to the door._

 _'Take your time!' Adrianna rolled her eyes. 'I thought you said to get here for predrinks at eight.'_

 _'Uhm... I did.'_

 _'Are we coming in?'_

 _I bit my lip, trying to work out how to warn them. Was Leanne going to keep her cool? I wasn't sure. She had the posters, the Cds, the t-shirts. Oh, goodness._

 _'Oh my god!' Leanne gasped, eyeballing me suspiciously with her brown eyes. 'You have a guy in there!'_

 _'Would you keep it down?!' I hissed._

 _'Oh my god, you do!' Adrianna grinned._

 _I knew Ed could probably hear our every word and it made me want to hit my head against the wall. How mortifying. 'Look, I met him in America and we hung out a bit and you're going to be really surprised to please just keep your cool.'_

 _'I thought we were having girls night?' Leanne raised an eyebrow._

 _'We are!' I replied, feeling more nervous by the second. 'But he turned up to surprise me.'_

 _'Awh.' They chorused._

 _'So are we just standing on the doorstep all night or...'_

 _'Screw this, I'm going in!' Leanne, my best friend of eight years, barged past me in typical Leanne style. 'Holy crap! Luce, why is Ed Sheeran in your living room? Am I hallucinating?'_

 _'You're definitely not, babe.' Adrianna said beside her as I closed the door and looked up to the heavens, hoping this wasn't going to be the biggest disaster ever._

 _'Hey.' Ed smiled at them and then added for extra effect, 'I'm Ed!'_

 _I walked past my friends and waited for a response but instead they just gawped at him._

 _'You're on my bedroom wall.' Leanne came out with, making me want the ground to swallow me whole._

Surprisingly, that hadn't put Ed off of me and the next day he took me on a date to the Sealife Centre, where we even fed the turtles and he bought me Gulliver, a cuddly one afterwards. We had another date the next day; a night in with a takeaway and Star Wars for company. This had led to our first kiss and after he outed his relationship to the press at a Record Label party, I suddenly was making papers.

This leads to now, where I am stood in the wings of the stage feeling like I am about to throw up. I looked down at my sequinned skater dress and boots and adjusted my leather jacket. I felt baking hot and I wasn't even under the lights yet. Nina, Ed's stylist, had sorted my hair, make-up and wardrobe, and she had told me to take the jacket off after the second song. I wasn't sure if I was going to last until then.

'We'll come and give you your guitar after the second song.' The stage manager told me. 'And there's a bottle of water by your mic stand if you need it.'

I nodded, unsure of what to say. Two hands appeared on my waist and I turned into them so that Ed was holding me. He gave me an encouraging smile. 'You are going to be incredible.'

'I hope.'

'You will.' He kissed me on the forehead.

The lights went up and my band started playing the intro of my first song. I took a deep breath and let go of Ed. It was now or never.

I walked onto the stage with my microphone, singing my opening verse as my band rocked out.

 _'I love the way you're talking_

 _I'm loving what you're doing boy_

 _I don't fall easy often_

 _I've never had a love like you before.'_

I couldn't believe just how quickly my first song was over, but the sight when it had ended was on incredible. The audience applauded and the auditorium at Koko was filled with the flashes of cameras and glowsticks being waved. I looked up at the box that I knew my parents, Willow and Leanne were sat in and I smiled. 'Thank you London! How's everyone doing tonight?' There was another cheer. 'My name is Lucy May and this is the first time I've actually done this. If you like what I here, check out my Facebook and Youtube Channel.' I adjusted my jacket, remembering I was able to take it off after the next song. If I wasn't overheating by then, of course. 'This one's called 'Here we go again'.'

After my second performance, my guitar was brought to me and I handed the stage crew my leather jacket in response. I threw the strap over my shoulder as the crowd cheered and I took a sip of water. 'Who's excited for Sky Bright?' Cheers filled the audience. 'And who's excited for Ed Sheeran?' The cheers and screams started and I laughed. Would these girls rip me to shreds if it meant getting their hands on him? Probably. 'I hope you don't mind but I'm going to slow things down a little now. This is called 'Skyscraper.' '

I strummed on my guitar, glad to be stood still and playing myself instead of moving around the stage and high-fiving the crowd. This was more of my comfort zone.

 _'Skies are crying, I am watching_

 _Catching tear drops in my hands_

 _Only silence as it's ending_

 _Like we never had a chance_

 _Do you have to make me feel like_

 _There's nothing left of me?'_

It was an emotional song I'd written about Rich, my ex. Rich had started off seeming like a nice guy, but things had quickly changed and he had forced me to do things that I didn't want to do. I fought back the tears in my eyes and continued.

 _'You can take everything I have_

 _You can break everything I am_

 _Like I'm made of glass_

 _Like I'm made of paper_

 _Go on and try to tear me down_

 _I will be rising from the ground_

 _Like a skyscraper_

 _Like a skyscraper.'_

The crowd cheered and I smiled. I could do this.

 _'As the smoke clears, I awaken_

 _And untangle you from me_

 _Would it make you feel better_

 _To watch me while I bleed?_

 _All my windows still are broken_

 _But I'm standing on my feet_

 _You can take everything I have_

 _You can break everything I am_

 _Like I'm made of glass_

 _Like I'm made of paper_

 _Go on and try to tear me down_

 _I will be rising from the ground_

 _Like a skyscraper_

 _Like a skyscraper.'_

When the song ended, the audience response was incredible and I couldn't help but grin like an idiot. 'Thank you _so_ much. I'm now going to sing a song you'll all know so please sing with me.'

 _'It feels like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters_

 _And make fun of our exes, uh uh, uh uh._

 _It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight_

 _To fall in love with strangers, uh uh, uh uh._

 _Yeah,_

 _We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time_

 _It's miserable and magical._

 _Oh, yeah_

 _Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines_

 _It's time_

 _Uh oh!_

 _I don't know about you_

 _But I'm feeling 22_

 _Everything will be alright_

 _If you keep me next to you_

 _You don't know about me_

 _But I'll bet you want to_

 _Everything will be alright_

 _If we just keep dancing like we're_

 _22, ooh-ooh_

 _22, ooh-ooh.'_

It was great performing the song as I plucked the strings on my guitar with the drummer giving me a beat and the other guitarist joining me on his acoustic guitar. The crowd sang loudly and jumped around and I imagined what it would be like if they were singing one of my songs like that. I finished with 'Believe in me' and then it was over. 'Thank you, London, you've been incredible! Goodnight!' And then I left the stage, adrenaline pumping through my veins and I felt drunk on excitement.

Ed was waiting for me in the wings and he picked me up, spinning me around and then pulling me in for a kiss. 'I told you you'd do great.' He gave me another quick kiss and we moved out the way so that the set could be changed. 'How do you feel?'

'Incredible.' I smiled, pulling him in for a hug. 'Thank you for letting me do this.'

'You're welcome.' He kissed my forehead.

'No wonder Relationship Goals is the main hashtag with you two.' Sky Bright smirked from beside us.

Ed laughed. 'You'd better and get changed and go and see your friends and parents.'

The plan was that I'd watch the rest of the show from the box, so that I could see it properly instead of from a side-view. I had a wash and changed quickly into my black high-waisted jeans and a yellow crop top with daisies on, throwing my black kimono over the top and slipping back on my black pumps. Then I headed to the box in the audience. I hid my face under my hair as I walked along the corridor from backstage up to the stairs, spotting a few latecomers and the odd fan buying the merchandise whilst the queue was small. I slipped up the stairs, unnoticed and then threw my 'Access All Areas' ID lanyard back around my neck. I was shown to the box and I was pulled into a hug straight away by my parents, who had travelled up to see me.

'You were fantastic, baby.' My mum sniffed, holding me tightly.

'We are so proud of you.' My dad said with a smile.

'So are we.' Willow said and I laughed as I was enveloped in another hug. Ed had flown her over for the weekend as he'd known just how much her being there would mean to me. The gesture made my heart flutter. 'Was it everything you'd hoped it would be?'

'And more.' I replied, grinning.

The lights dimmed onstage and then it was time for Sky to rock the audience. She looked nervous and I felt for her; it was her first UK show and after what had happened at the last concert... it was no surprise she was worried. It didn't hold her back, however. Her performance was excellent and very different to mine. She was innocent and girly, which was reflected in her outfit and the way she moved on the stage. Despite this, the audience loved her and they were screaming and applauding when she left the stage.

'I'm going to get some drinks before Ed starts.' Willow said, standing up.

'We'll come with you, dear.' My mum said, pulling my dad to his feet. 'You won't be able to carry it all.'

They headed off and I wriggled in my seat to get comfy again.

'Selfie!' Leanne yelled, pulling me in and pouting. I pouted back and laughed. 'Did you miss me, babe?'

'Maybe a little.' I winked. 'I missed your moves on Halloween, definitely.'

'I had to work until late. It was rubbish.' She frowned. 'Halloween only comes around once a year and when it does, it's crap. Then I turn on my computer and you're all over my Facebook Timeline on The Daily Mail and The Mirror looking all sexy dressed as a pirate with Ed Sheeran. Someone up there sure has it in for me.'

'You'll find someone.' I said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. 'Remember what you told me? That love comes when you least expect it too.'

'Oh Luce, do you love him?' She said, concern filling her eyes. Leanne always worried that I was going to fall too fast.

'I don't know... maybe.' I replied, biting my lip. 'He's just so adorable.' She raised an eyebrow and I continued. 'He laughs at my stupid jokes, always surprises me... like he told me to Arundel the other day because he knows it's my favourite place. He's funny and talented and ambitious and I can tell him anything.'

'And have you told him everything?' She asked, reaching for my hand.

I nodded. 'I told him all about what happened with Rich. Pretty sure he wants to kill him.'

'He can get in line.' She frowned, tensing. 'Just be careful, Luce, please.'

'I will.'

My parents and Willow reappeared, handing out soft drinks for us all. I thought about going to grab a cider but then I thought better of it; Warner Records were in the audience in their designated seat and they would probably come and find me after the show to get my demo if I hadn't scared them off. Best to be one hundred percent sober. I sipped my lemonade and then the lights darkened, the screams started and my boyfriend started to wow the crowd. In our box we sung and danced along to the songs, getting out our phones and shining lights for the slower songs. It was crazy watching Ed and like this and I struggled to believe that he was my boyfriend. As he hung photograph, pictures of him from baby to now filled the screen behind him and my mum starting sniffing.

'Oh mum, please stop crying.' I said, handing her a tissue.

'It's a lovely song and just look at those photos.'

'Oh my god, it's you Luce!' Willow grinned, shaking me. I looked at the screen where there was a selfie of us in front of Big Ben. A few photos later and there was me, Sky and Zed in a picture with him. The song ended with a video of him busking on the street and the audience screamed and applauded.

'Thank god he chose alright photos.' I said, shaking my head.

'Yeah, at least he didn't show one of you asleep with your mouth open or a video of you talking in your sleep. You can be pretty unattractive, Luce.' Leanne laughed and Willow high-fived her.

'Thanks guys, nice to know you care.'

'Thank you, London. I must say you're looking great tonight.' Cue screams. 'I'm going to play something new now... I actually only finished it a few days ago so you'll have to bear with me. I hope you like it.'

He didn't use the loop-pedal for this song. Instead, he played the chords on his guitar and started to sing.

 _'Your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me_

 _But bear this in mind, it was meant to be_

 _And I'm joining up the dots with the freckles on your cheeks_

 _And it all makes sense to me_

 _I know you've never loved the crinkles by your eyes when you smile_

 _You've never loved your stomach or your thighs, the dimples in your back at the bottom of your spine_

 _But I'll love them endlessly.'_

'Holy shit, it's about you!' Willow whispered from beside me. I held up my hand to silence her.

 _'I won't let these little things_

 _Slip out of my mouth_

 _But if I do_

 _It's you_

 _Oh it's you_

 _They add up to_

 _I'm in love with you_

 _And all these little things._

 _You can't go to bed without a cup of tea_

 _And maybe that's the reason that you talk in your sleep.'_

It was definitely about me. I cringed at the talking in my sleep. Had I really been doing that in front of him? Leanne sniggered beside me and I swatted her with my hand.

' _And all those conversations are the secrets that I keep_

 _Though it makes no sense to me_

 _I know you've never loved the sound of your voice on tape_

 _You never want to know how much you weigh, you still have to squeeze into your jeans_

 _But you're perfect to me._

 _I won't let these little things_

 _Slip out of my mouth_

 _But if it's true_

 _It's you_

 _It's you_

 _They add up to_

 _I'm in love with you_

 _And all these little things_

 _You'll never love yourself half as much as I love you_

 _And you'll never treat yourself right darlin' but I want you to_

 _If I let you know I'm here for you_

 _Maybe you'll love yourself like I love you, oh_

 _I've just let these little things_

 _Slip out of my mouth_

 _'Cause it's you_

 _Oh it's you_

 _It's you they add up to_

 _And I'm in love with you_

 _And all these little things.'_

He looked up towards the box and my two best friends nudged me from either side of me, as if I hadn't already realised he was looking right at me.

 _'I won't let these little things_

 _Slip out of my mouth_

 _But if it's true_

 _It's you_

 _It's you_

 _They add up to_

 _I'm in love with you_

 _And all your little things.'_

He smiled and the audience applauded and some screamed hysterically. 'Thank you.' My mum blubbered beside me.

'So Luce, I think Ed Sheeran's in love with you...' Willow whispered in my ear.

I looked over at Leanne. 'Are you crying?'

'No,' she whispered, wiping one of her eyes. 'Don't be ridiculous. I can't believe he wrote a song about you and I can't believe you've been talking in your sleep.'

'I can't believe it either.' I said, unsure of what else to say.

'I'm afraid it's time for my final song.' Ed said into the microphone as he ran his hand through his hair. 'Make sure you sing along as I know you know this one.' He counted himself in before going into 'You need me but I don't need you' and I noticed a few audience members start to drift out.

'Luce, you'd better go or you'll be hounded.' Willow whispered and I knew she was right.

I made them all promise to come and find me backstage after the show and I slipped out, into the corridor. A few fans past as I snuck down the stairs and then I heard someone call out, 'Oh my god, it's Lucy May, Ed's girlfriend!'

Oh crap. I ran as quick as I could to the backstage door, where the security guard laughed as he let me in. 'I'm sorry girls but it's VIP access only.' I heard the man say as the door closed behind me. I sighed with relief as I walked towards the wings, hoping to jump onto Ed as soon as the song was over.

'Nice performance, Lucy.' I turned around to see Joseph from Warner Records, who was stood with a gentleman I didn't recognise. They were both in suits and had their ID badges on them.

'Thank you.' I replied with a smile.

'So we were really impressed by your performance tonight. Take my card and give me a call on Monday. I'd love to set up a business meeting.' He said with a smile, handing me his card.

'Erm... sure!' I said, nervously.

'Catch you then.'

I looked down at the card in my clammy hands, my heart jumping around in my chest. This was just the beginning.


	2. Here come the girls

'Do you have to go?' Ed said with a pout the following Monday morning when I was stood at Victoria station. It was just two days after the gig and I was still buzzing with excitement, despite the fact that I was returning to work that evening.

'Yes.' I replied with a laugh. 'I'm surprised Stefan let me have two weeks off as it is... plus he's letting me have this weekend off for Abby's hen party and then next Saturday off for the wedding... I kind of owe him.' Although after performing onstage to thousands of people on Friday, returning to be a barmaid in new Brighton hang-out 'The Library' was going to be pretty dull.

'I'll miss you.' He whispered, his eyes serious.

'And I'll miss you.' I replied with a smile. 'Especially as you're leaving the country.' I added with a frown.

He sighed. He had two homes; his lovely two bedroom apartment in Camden I'd been staying in and he also owned a ranch in Nashville, which was where he spent most of his time. He had a flight back to Nashville that evening as he had an interview there tomorrow and he was seeing Taylor Swift's show at the weekend. I wished I was going too. 'It sucks, I know.' He said, sincerely. 'But I'll see you next Sunday?'

A whole thirteen days away and he was missing Abby's wedding, which I had invited him to as my plus one. 'I'll see you then.'

'Hey.' He said, noticing my sad expression. He pulled me in and kissed me softly on the lips. 'I'll Skype you when you get in from work tomorrow night okay?'

'Okay.' I almost added 'I love you' but I decided against it. I hadn't mentionned anything about the lyrics of his song he had performed on Friday night, although it wasn't going unnoticed on social media; it was all over MTV news pages and on Youtube, and I had noticed that the likes on my Facebook Page had increased too. My train was called so I disappeared to the platform with the rest of the public, blending in once again as I pulled Ed's hoodie tightly around myself.

I got home around midday, so I had just over an hour to get ready for work. After a quick shower, I straightened my long brunette hair and threw on my leather-look trousers and a black off-the-shoulder jumper with a long chain necklace and my black ballet bumps. We had no uniform at the bar, but we were expected to wear all black. I grabbed my jacket and smiled at the business card which fell out, the Warner Records logo clear on it. Of course, they'd asked me to call them today. With a quick glance at the clock I realised I had fifteen minutes before I had to leave for work. Was that enough time to call them? I gave it a shot anyway.

'Hello, Warner Records, can I help you?'

'Er, hello, it's Lucy May here, I was ringing to speak to...'

'Joseph's in a meeting currently, Miss May.' The receptionist replied quickly. 'He did say he'd asked you to call.'

'Oh.' I replied, cringing at how stupid I sounded.

'He's asked me to organise a meeting with you at our London office. Are you available on Monday 15th November at 10am?'

Two weeks today? I probably was if I spoke nicely to Stefan. 'Yes, absolutely.' I replied, grabbing my diary and scribbling the address down and the information she was giving me.

'If you could bring your demo CD and guitar that would be wonderful.'

My guitar? Was I performing. Oh, shit. 'Erm okay.'

'Thank you for calling. Have a nice day.' And then she was gone and I was left looking at the phone in my hand. Looks like I was going to be on time for work after all.

The Library had only opened a few weeks previously, but business already seemed to be doing well. The worn velvet sofas and leather vintage armchairs were filled with locals and the occassional tourist who had stopped in when visiting The Lanes. I looked up at the stage with the microphone set up, where I had performed not too long ago. It seemed a whole other world away from my performance at Koko.

'Sup, superstar!' Hector, my colleague with thick-rimmed glasses said as he waved at me. 'I've been on Youtube, nice performance.'

'Thanks.' I replied, shyly as a few customers glanced over at me, trying to work out who I was. 'I'll go put my stuff out the back.' I headed to the staff room, where I quickly grabbed a glass of water and put my bag in the locker and my coat on the rack.

'Hello gorgeous.'

I turned to see Stefan had joined me, a sly grin on his face. 'Boss.' I said, ignoring the compliment he had just paid me. 'Has it been this busy the whole time I've been in London?'

'Yeah, pretty much.' He shrugged, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded. 'Business is doing well. Helps though when our only female member of staff is in the papers.'

'Huh, you saw that?' I said, nervously as I bit my lip; it was a bad habit of mine.

'Got to make sure any publicity is good publicity. Nice dress at that record label party the other day. You should wear it to work some time or maybe I could take you out somewhere nice?'

'Mate, why would she go out with you when she has Ed Sheeran?' Hector said as he appeared in the doorway, shaking his head. 'Now both of you get out here, a stag do have just come in...' He gave my outfit a once-over. 'Actually, Luce, maybe you'd better serve them as our only female member of staff.'

'God damn it.' I said with a laugh, although truthfully I was grateful to get away from Stefan. I walked into the bar and looked at the Stag Do in their cringey matching t-shirts which read 'Pussay Patrol'. Inbetweeners Movie anyone? 'Hey guys, what can I get you?' I said as they sat down on the bar stools.

'Sweet! A barmaid!' One of them said and I resisted rolling my eyes. This was what the hen weekend was going to be like, I was sure of it. Abby, Leanne's older sister, was getting married a week on Saturday and I had been invited to the wedding as I was 'part of the family.' She'd even asked me to sing a few songs too, which I'd happily agreed to. The hen party was going to be crazy, from how Leanne had described it, I just hoped there were no 'Penis patrol' t-shirts involved so we didn't end up looking like the rowdy stags sat in front of me.

'We'll each have a jagerbomb!' A man with 'Stevie' marked on his t-shirt said with a smile that looked like it was supposed to have been flirtacious. 'And a kiss.'

'Six jagerbombs and no kisses coming up.' I replied, getting to work.

'Playing hard to get?'

'Definitely not.' I replied with a playful grin. I made up the jagerbombs and placed them in front of them, showing them the price of the drinks on the screen. They handed over a credit card and typed in their pin. I slid the drinks their way and went to serve another customer.

Half an hour later and the stags were pretty wasted and dancing to the cheesey 80s music Stefan had put through the speaker system. Stefan called me over after I had finished cleaning a table. 'It's getting pretty busy and they're spending loads.' He said, signalling to the stag do. 'I'm assigning you as their personal table service.'

'What?' I groaned with a frown. 'But they're playing truth or dare. I don't want to be involved in that.'

Stefan raised an eyebrow at me. 'You've not been here in two weeks, you owe me. Now make them spend loads and write a good review on Tripadvisor and take your hair out of that ponytail, it looks better down.'

Realising that I had to actually listen to my boss' requests, I pulled my hairband out and shook my hair so that it fell over my shoulders. I quickly took off my jumper so that I was wearing just my strapless black top with my trousers and headed over to the table, where the best man was flicking through some 'dare cards.' 'Can I get you anymore drinks?' I asked with a flutter of the eyelashes.

'Sweet, we've got our own barmaid!' Someone piped up and I shot them a smile I hoped they wouldn't realise was fake. 'Babe, we need some beers and some shots.'

'Not a problem.' I smiled, fetching their order. When I returned, they were all looking at me.

'I _knew_ you looked familiar.' The groom said, squinting at me.

'Oh?' I said, putting their drinks on the table.

The groom turned his phone around, showing a photograph of me with Ed from the Warner Record's party almost two weeks ago. We were stood on the red carpet, Ed kissing my cheek and me smiling as he had just introduced me to the press has his girlfriend. It was currently my profile picture and had a crazy amount of 'likes' on it. 'What on _earth_ are you doing working _here_? Aren't you a singer?' The groom continued.

'Erm.. yes... but got to make a living somehow.' I replied with an awkward laugh.

'Babe, Ed's lucky to have you.' Someone piped up. 'You're well fit.'

I cringed at the weird compliment. 'Er thanks.'

The rest of the night was weird. They asked me questions about Ed, which I ignored and then questions about myself, some of which I answered. They continued their game of dares and I was thankful not to be included in any but the 'how many hugs can you get in a minute' dare. After posing for a photo with them, they headed elsewhere for the night and I wondered where on earth they were continuing their Monday night in Brighton. Hector called me a taxi that night, letting me sneak out after I'd cleaned the floors and tables.

'Quick, get out of here before Stefan is back from cashing up.' My deputy-manager said with a smile. 'He's worked you hard enough tonight.'

'Thanks.' I said, gratefully, and I headed home for a much-needed sleep.

The rest of the week, work was pretty quiet and it seemed to fly by. I spent the mornings helping Leanne organise her sister's hen party and the afternoons and evenings working in the bar until late, thankful that I was unrecognisable with my hair in a tight bun, and then Skyping Ed before I went to bed. Before I knew it, it was Friday morning and I was on a train with my campervan-patterned suitcase, ready for a weekend with the girls. Very few people had been invited to Abby's hen party; only myself, Leanne, Kat (Abby's other bridesmaid), and Abby's friends Tasha, Lauren and Jessie. Leanne's mum and the groom's mum were taking her to afternoon tea on the Monday as they had decided they were 'too old' to come for a 'wild' weekend in Bristol.

'So what have you got planned for me for this weekend?' Abby asked, adjusting the 'Bride to be' sash I'd given her on arrival at Brighton station.

'We can't tell you that.' Leanne replied with a wicked grin. 'You'll have to wait and see.'

'But where are we staying?'

'You'll find out in approximately three and a half hours.'

And we did. Three and a half hours later and we had followed Leanne to the hotel we were staying in, right in the city centre. We were staying in a four star Marriott spa hotel, which was located right by the harbour. The hotel was grand, but we'd paid a fair price for it so it wasn't too bad. The lobby had marble floors and mahoghany furniture and the gentleman behind the desk greeted us with a smile. 'Can I help you?'

'Hello, we've booked three rooms under the name Leanne.' Leanne said with a flirtacious smile, although I was sure the receptionist was gay.

He typed something into his computer and smiled. 'Wonderful and all paid for already. Your rooms are all together and on the third floor with a lovely view of the harbour. Here's your keys and there's spares down here should you need any. I hope you have a pleasant stay with us.'

'Thank you.' Abby beamed, taking in the decor. 'This place is _so_ cool!'

'So I did good?' Leanne beamed as we made our way to the elevator.

'You did _very_ good sis.'

I was sharing a room with Leanne as I'd met the other girls a few times but I didn't know them quite well enough. Not that I minded sharing a room with my best friend anyway. We'd ended many nights out and nights in with curling up in a double bed and falling asleep covered in smudged make-up anyway. The room was decorated in a soft yellow and was made up of two comfy twin beds, decorated with white linen, a desk and dressing table, a blue armchair and a modern white-tiled ensuite bathroom. It was simple and comfy and not too posh, which was perfect.

I collapsed back on the bed as my phone bleeped and I smiled as I read the message:

 _Going to miss Skyping you later. What are your plans in Bristol? xxx_

'Missing you already?' Leanne sighed, collapsing on my bed beside me. 'Oh woe is me.'

'Hush you!' I said, launching a pillow in her direction.

 _Massages, sauna, hanging out in my bikini... buying new clothes and drinking. Standard stuff xxx_

The reply came quickly and I smiled:

 _Bikini?! xxx_

'Right, I am taking this from you so there is no naughty sexting.' Leanne tutted and I rolled my eyes as she locked my phone and put it in her bag. 'What? It's a girl's weekend. Besides, I've not had any juicy details in a while. Last thing you told me was that you had shared a bed together.'

'And that's still it.' I told her, cracking my knuckles and making her wince. 'Taking things slow, remember?'

'And how do you both feel about that?'

'Fine.' I replied, hoping he _was_ fine about that.

There was a knock at the door and thankfully Leanne jumped up and answered it. 'Okay we're coming, we're coming.'

'Where are we going?' I asked, sitting up.

'Duh, loser, we're going shopping!'

Bristol was a great place for shopping and I wished I'd been there before. There was the Bristol Shopping Quarter, filled with designer brands and high-street stores. We all ventured into Topshop and New Look, where we all invested in new little black dresses for our night out the following day. Then we headed to Clifton Village, which couldn't be any more different. Near to the Clifton Suspension bridge, the buildings were mainly of Georgian and Regency architecture, making it a little more picturesque than the area we were staying in. The village was made up of boutiques and vintage stores and I spent far too much money on clothes to add to my fifties wardrobe. After the shops closed, we headed back to the hotel and then went out for dinner and a comedy show. So far, it was a very tame hen party but I had no idea what was instore for the next day...

'Eugh, you all look too fabulous in bikinis.' Abby tutted as she placed her fluffy white towel on a lounger by the indoor pool the next day. Decorated with grecian sculptures and columns, it almost felt like we were abroad. Abby was not fat, but she did have a size fourteen hour-glass figure which suited her perfectly and I was envious because I looked boyish stood next to her.

'Don't be silly.' Kat tutted in response, wrapping her arms around her slim figure self-consciously.

'I'm glad I didn't decide on a pool party wedding.' Abby frowned, looking at me in my red bikini which gave the illusion that I had bigger breasts than my 34bs.

'You wouldn't have done that anyway.' Leanne shook her head. 'Uncle Mark would have turned up in his speedos.'

Abby spat out her drink and we all laughed in unision. 'Gross, Lea.'

'You know it's true.'

'It's a shame though in some ways.' Kat said, looking thoughtful. 'I might have found a nice man with a six pack. Please tell me you have some coming.'

'Yes, please do.' Leanne nodded in agreement. 'Sopster over here,' she signalled to me, 'is driving me crazy with her gushy messages and then Ed's busy writing gushy songs about her...'

'You're just jealous because you always loved Ed Sheeran.' Abby said with a sly smile.

'Erm.. guys.. this is kinda awkward, you know? I feel like I did when Lea told Ed that she had posters of him on her bedroom wall.' I said, my palm on my head in despair.

'Wait, what?' Abby's eyebrows shot high in the air and her friends giggled. 'Please tell me you did _not_ tell Ed Sheeran that you have posters of him on your wall?'

'Oh she did.' I replied as my friend blushed beside me. 'Coolest thing ever to say.'

'Oh my god!' Lauren snorted, making us all laugh again.

'Can we just change the subject?' Leanne pleaded, her cheeks crimson.

'Ladies, your treatments are ready for you.' A man dressed in all white said from beside the pool. I'd never seen Leanne move so fast.

Our spa day was lovely and relaxing and just what I needed after a busy week at work. We all had manicures and pedicures as well as a full-body massage, something which I had been worried about as it involved lying on a table pretty much naked! By the evening, I felt lovely and relaxed and we enjoyed an early dinner in the hotel before heading up to mine and Leanne's room to get ready.

'Vino anyone?!' Tasha beamed, pulling out a bottle of white wine from her bag.

'Absolutely!' Lauren grinned, giving her a playful nudge. 'Let's start this party.'

'Just please don't burn my ears!' Abby said, her eyes wide as Lauren straightened her hair. Getting ready altogether was one thing I really loved about girls night out. It was the reason why Leanne and our friend Adriana often headed over to my flat before a night out.

'Lucy, your hair is so cute!' Jessie complimented me as she ran her fingers through my natural waves. 'Is it like this always?'

'Yes, lucky bitch.' Leanne said from beside me and I playfully blew her a kiss.

'Mind if I add some curls?' Jessie asked, lifting up the curling tong.

'Sure.' I smiled. After all, I'd found out she was a hairdresser.

'So Ed, huh? He seems cute.'

'Yeah, he's great.' I smiled and the girls all smiled back at me.

'Is he as romantic as his songs suggest?' Abby asked from beside me.

'Shouldn't we be asking you questions like this? It's your hen party.' I replied with a laugh.

'Oh please, we've got all night for that. Besides, Dean and I have been together for ten years. Everyone knows all about us already!'

'Well.. he can be romantic.' I said, unsure of whether to elaborate or not.

'Come on, tell us some romantic things, some relationship goals!' Jessie pleaded from behind me, dropping some curls over my shoulder.

Leanne raised an eyebrow. 'Well he did take her to the Sealife Centre for their first date, even though she says it wasn't a date, and he bought her a cuddly turtle because she fed one with him.' She rummaged around in my bag and pulled out Gulliver. 'Aha! I knew it!'

'Awh, he's so cute!' Kat cooed as Leanne passed my cuddly turtle to her.

'He is.' Abby grinned. 'Go on, what else can you spill?'

I realised that there was probably a lot I hadn't told Leanne and I hoped she wasn't going to be angry with me about it. I bit my lip in thought before continuing. 'He danced around his living room to Michael Buble with me after a party we went to.' I said, smiling at the memory. Leanne raised her eyebrows and I mouthed 'sorry' to her across the room.

 _The record label party had been cool and I'd had a few too many to drink. Ed was making me a cup of tea in the kitchen and I turned on the music channels, desperate for the night not to end. Then Michael Buble had come on, someone who I'd always loved to listen to and I'd been lucky enough to see in concert with my mum._

'You're a falling star, you're the get away car.

You're the line in the sand when I go too far.

You're the swimming pool, on an August day.

And you're the perfect thing to say.'

 _'I love this song!' I smiled, singing along and dancing in barefoot on the wooden flooring._

'And you play it coy but it's kinda cute.

Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do.

Baby don't pretend that you don't know it's true.

'cause you can see it when I look at you. '

 _Ed placed a hand on the small of my back and took my hand with his other. I blushed at the action and at how close our bodies were to each other. Were we about to re-enact his Thinking Out Loud video? I wasn't sure._

'And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times

It's you, it's you, you make me sing.

You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,

And you light me up, when you ring my bell.

You're a mystery, you're from outer space,

You're every minute of my everyday.'

 _He sang the next part of the song to me, making my knees weak and my heart sink in my chest._

'And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,

And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.

Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,

And you know that's what our love can do. '

 _I smiled like an idiot, unable to stop myself._

'And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times

It's you, it's you, you make me sing.

You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.'

 _When the song had finished, he pulled me in for a kiss and whispered, 'your tea's getting cold.'_

'Now that's the cutest thing ever!' Abby cooed, giving me a smile. 'Hold onto him, Luce, seriously, he's a keeper.'

'And he wrote that song about you, didn't he?' Jessie beamed. 'Definitely a keeper.'

I smiled to myself; they had no idea.

An hour later and the wine bottle was empty and we were ready for a night out. Tasha pulled out her selfie stick and encouraged us all to squish in for a photo, so I quickly gave my outfit a once-over; my little black dress finished half-way above my thigh. It was strapless and tight-fitting with peplum detail around the waist. I'd teamed it with my highest and comfiest black platforms and a gold statement necklace with my gold clutchbag. My make-up involved smokey eyes and my hair was in loose, long curls. Each of our dresses was a different shape, but it was clear we were together. Leanne was wearing a strapless black skater dress; Abby was wearing a black dress with a tulle skirt; Kat's dress was a bodycon midi dress; Jessie's was a black leather skater dress; Tasha's was a knee-length black dress with a sweetheart neckline; and Lauren was wearing a black bodycon sequin dress. I felt like we were in a girlband or something, even more so as we took photographs and uploaded them to Facebook and Instagram. I took a full-length photo of me with Leanne and quickly sent it to Ed, hoping he would approve of my outfit. Then we headed out.

We started our night in Java, a cool cocktail bar not too far from where we were staying. Leanne had called ahead and reserved us a table, so we skipped the queue and walked straight into our brown leather booth, tucked into the corner of a room with sparkling chandeliers and engraved wooden walls. We took off our jackets and headed straight to the bar as my phone buzzed in my bag.

 _Looking beautiful and smoking hot. Must see that dress in person some time. Have a good night and try to behave yourself xxx_

I smiled and then tucked it away. I wasn't going to be on my phone again, unless I was taking pictures of course.

'What can I get you?' The barman asked me as Leanne squeezed into the space beside me.

'We'll have a round of shots to that table.' Leanne said, pointing at our table. 'And I'll have your finest cocktail.'

'Finest? Which would you like?'

'Surprise me.' She smiled flirtaciously and I stopped myself from laughing. She was the flirty one in our group, the one who always pulled. It was just unfortunate that she tended to pull the ones who were good-looking but were arseholes.

Ten minutes later and we ended up downing our shots and in a game of 'Never have I ever', which seemed pretty deadly and I suddenly wished I was innocent.

'Never have I ever kissed a friend's brother.' Abby said, looking at Kat who drank up straight away.

'God, everyone's going to think I'm an awful friend!' Kat groaned.

'Wait, you kissed Liam?!' I said in surprise, referring to Abby and Leanne's brother. He was a looker, yes, and he was older but that surprised me.

'She was drunk.' Leanne explained. 'Halloween a few years back.'

'And they won't ever let me forget it.' Kat sighed, putting down her glass. 'Okay... Never have I ever had a one night stand.' I watched as Leanne and Jessie sipped at their drinks. How had we ended up on dirty questions already?

'This is hardly fair, you've not had anything to drink.' Jessie said to me with a frown which quickly turned into a wicked smile. 'Never have I ever kissed someone famous.'

'Eugh.' I sighed, sipping at my drink.

'Never have I ever owned a piece of Ed Sheeran merchandise.' Lauren continued, looking pointedly at Leanne.

Everyone but me had a sip of drink and then Leanne turned to me with a glare. 'Gulliver the turtle.'

'That's hardly merchandise.' I said, shaking my head.

'Ed Sheeran's hoodie.'

'Again, not really merchandise.'

'An Ed Sheeran song about you. Ed Sheeran's mobile number...'

'But-'

'Drink!' The girls chorused and I drank too fingers under the pressure.

Two cocktails and one shot later and the dare cards came out, reminding me of work at the beginning of the week. I cringed as they were placed in the center of the table, face-down.

'Okay, so we're going to be playing truth or dare without the truth part now.' Leanne said, looking at each of us.

'So it's just dare then?' Abby said, her eyebrow raised.

'Yeah, yeah, whatever. We take it in turns and you have to pull out a card and complete the dare. If you refuse to do it, your forfeit is to down your drink in ten seconds.'

'I have this awful feeling I'm not going to make it to the club later.' Lauren said, her eyes worried.

'We'll be fine, they can't be that bad.' I said with a reassuring smile.

'Abby is starting as our bride-to-be.' Leanne said with a wicked smile. 'Off you go, sister.'

Abby nervously picked up a card and smiled. 'Easy.'

'What is it?'

'Order a drink in a foreign accent.' She read aloud as she stood up. 'Well, is anyone joining me to check I actually do it?' Tasha followed her to the bar where Abby ordered a drink and was handed it.

They walked back over to us and Tasha nodded, satisfied. 'Ordered a glass of red wine in perfect Spanish. Leanne, you're up next then as head bridesmaid.'

Leanne hesitated before picking up a card. 'Get a guy's phone number.' She read before scanning the bar. Her eyes stopped on a guy in a suit with short, dark hair. She smiled and stood up. 'Ladies.' We watched as she walked over to the guy and introduced herself by shaking his hand. She fluttered her eyelashes and twirled her hair around a finger and I knew she would be successful. She handed him her phone and he typed in a number before handing it back. She kissed him on the cheek before returning back to us. 'Derek Smith.' She said, showing us the number.

'It's like the dare was made for you.' I told her with a playful smile.

'You're up, Luce.'

I picked up the card and quickly read it, groaning. The girls sent me a curious look and I read it out, 'You have one minute to get six kisses on the cheek. Girls, really?'

'Or down your...' Leanne squinted at my drink. 'Double vodka and lemonade.'

'Eugh, fine.' I said, standing up and they whooped. 'Who has a timer on their phone?'

'I do!' Lauren replied, excitedly. 'Are you ready?'

'Go!' Leanne shouted and I was off. I wasn't sure how I managed to get a kiss on the cheek from the doorman, the barman, 'Derek Smith', a guy who only just looked eighteen, a guy who looked too old to be on a night out and a pretty good-looking guy that Leanne would like, but somehow I did it, all before the sixty seconds was up. I sat down and smirked at my friends, who just shook their heads in response. Then I downed my drink anyway, just because I could.


	3. Haunted

'Eugh.' I groaned the next day when I woke up. My head was throbbing and I felt sick. I rolled over and looked at Leanne, who was squinting at her phone.

'What the hell happened last night?' She groaned and I knew I wasn't the only one with a headache.

'Well,' I replied, sitting up in my bed, 'we all did those crazy dares you came up with including the one where you had to get a guy's boxers... which you did by the way.' I said with a tut. 'And then we ended up in some karaoke place and you all made me perform.. thanks for that by the way.' I raised my eyebrow. 'Oh and then we ended up in some club playing only 80s and 90s music so we spent the rest of the night dancing and drinking.'

'Blimey.' My best friend said, looking down at her feet. 'No wonder my feet are sore.'

'I can't believe you're still fully dress.' I commented, looking at her outfit from the previous night and her smudged make-up.

'Wouldn't be the first time.' She shrugged. 'How on earth did you even get your pyjamas on?'

'With difficulty.' I replied with a smile. 'Eugh what time is it?'

'10am. Check out is in an hour.'

'Then I guess we'd better make ourselves look presentable.'

I was pleased that work went quickly that week and I was thankful when Friday rolled around; I was spending the day helping sort out the final pieces of decor and flower arrangements for Abby's wedding before heading in for a late shift that evening. Abby was spending the day being pampered by having her hair highlighted and her nails done, so I sat in my living room with Leanne and Adriana, arranging the flowers into pretty centerpieces. The colour scheme for the wedding was navy blue, turquoise and silver so the flowers corresponded with that as well as they could.

'So did you manage to nab a date for the wedding then?' Adriana asked Leanne as she poured fake snow into the bottom of an empty jam jar. I added the fake floral arrangement to it and then Leanne tied a ribbon around the jar.

'I wish.' Leanne said with a sigh. 'Looks like I'm dancing with an usher.'

'Or with me?' I asked, hopefully. I was still disappointed that Ed wasn't going to make it to the wedding.

'Nah babe, I'm alright thanks.'

'Charming.' I replied, pretending to be offended. 'So are you taking Ryan?' I asked Adriana. She had only been invited to the wedding reception in the evening, but I knew she had been told she could bring a plus one.

'Maybe.' She blushed, biting her lip. 'I know it's only been two weeks but things are going pretty well, you know?'

'I'm happy for you.' I smiled.

'Eugh, too much gushyness!' Leanne groaned from beside me. 'I really need to find myself a man.'

'Just wait and then one will come along when you least expect it.' Adriana smiled as she shared her words of wisdom.

'I've been waiting a while and so far my success rate is poor.'

The wedding ceremony was taking place at a manor just outside of the city, with beautiful grounds and gardens I knew would look wonderful in the wedding photographs. I was staying in a small hotel nearby, as I was intending to drink, so I checked in early to my double room and got ready alone, which felt kind of weird. An hour later and I was ready to leave for the venue; I was wearing a Coast dress ( **AN: See Coast Luma Duchess Satin dress on Google)** I had picked up on eBay for a good price. The satin mint-coloured dress was a bodycon fit landing just above the knees. There was a sweetheart neckline and above this was mint lace covering the shoulders. The lace was also along the bottom of the dress and a small belt brought in my waist in the middle. I had pulled the front of my curls back into a half-updo and I had thrown on my white faux fur cropped jacket, silver stilettos and a silver clutchbag to match my outfit. I fixed the pearl necklace my late granddad had given me around my neck and added the matching earrings. Done.

The manor was even more beautiful than pictures with its grand, castle-like architecture, and it had been decorated with twinkling fairylights and white roses. I walked up the steps, watching my clumsy feet, towards the door where two ushers were greeting guests. I smiled at one in particular; Abby and Leanne's brother Liam. He had brunette hair which was shorter and the sides and longer on the top, kind of quirky, and I noticed he had some stubble on his chin and around his mouth. He was wearing his ushers outfit; a grey suit with silver waistcoat and tie.

'Long time no see!' He beamed, pulling me into a hug. 'How are you doing, Lucy?'

'Great thanks.' I replied, frowning when I realised I could see my breath. 'You?'

'Oh, I'm great too.' He smiled. 'We'll catch up later when we're somewhere warmer, okay?'

'Okay.'

The room the ceremony was taking place in was quite small and I understood why only family and closest friends had been invited. The room itself only seated around fifty guests and already a few were sat chatting and waiting for the wedding. The room had grand windows by the makeshift altar, which overlooked the beautiful grounds outside. Flowers matching the colourscheme hung like tinsel around the walls of the room, mixed with fairylights, and white rose petals decorated the stone floor where the aisle was. I greeted the groom with a kiss on the cheek and took a seat near the front.

The ceremony was beautiful and there was not a dry eye in the house; I was thankful I'd squeezed some make-up into my clutch bag. Abby looked like a princess in her white dress which was tight until the waist and then flowed out in a sea of tulle. She was wearing a veil and a small tiara and her necklace followed the 'something blue' rule. The two bridesmaids, Kat and Leanne, looked gorgeous in their strapless navy full-length bridesmaid dresses, which had a little sparkle around the waistband. When we went outside for photos, the bridesmaids and bride put on faux fur wraps, although I was sure they must have still been freezing. Despite being mid-November, the air was already very cold and the forecasts had said snow could arrive in the next few weeks. Then again, snow wasn't common in England so things could change. The bride and groom were taken off by the photographer for their own photoshoot so we climbed onto the vintage double-decker bus that had been provided to get us to the next venue.

'Well hello there dearest friend of mine.' Leanne grinned, sitting in the seat beside me.

'Hello there.' I replied with a laugh. 'Such a beautiful wedding.'

'Indeed it was. Hoping the rest of the day runs smoothly so that my sister doesn't unleash the Bridezilla that I know is resting inside of her.' She said, tucking a loose curl from her bun behind her ear.

'Your dress is lovely.'

'And so is yours... looks... expensive.' She eyeballed it, suspiciously.

'eBay.' I whispered. 'But if anyone asks, it's from Coast.'

'Deal.' She nodded. 'Where were we without eBay? Solves all of life's problems.'

'Well... most of them.'

'You're right there. I can't buy myself a boyfriend on there... yet.'

The wedding reception was taking place at Starmore House, an eighteenth century manor house in the South Downs National Park. It was cheaper for a reception here than the castle-like building that the ceremony had taken place in but it was still incredibly beautiful. There were expected to be around one hundred guests for the evening reception, so the room hired had to be big enough. The George IV room was where the meals and evening reception were taking place and it was breathtaking. There was a large banquet table at one end of it for the bride, groom, their parents, best man and head bridesmaid. Then there were round tables with white cloths and ribbon-tied chairs scattered around for the wedding 'breakfast' guests. I found my space and was relieved that I was sat with the girls from the hen party. I sat down and admired the fairylights around the pillars and columns, the centerpieces I had put together with my friends the day before, and the polaroids scattered around of the bride and groom. It was perfect. I looked over to the other side of the room where the dancefloor was, as well as a stage and a DJ booth. I walked over and put down my guitar by the stage, feeling nervous. It was an intimate venue and I'd performed to more people than this but I hadn't performed to a room where I knew a lot of the people. It was a lot of pressure.

'Lucy!' I looked up and saw that Lauren was waving me over so I headed over with a smile, hiding the nerves in my stomach.

The meal was pretty posh and I felt self-conscious eating it as I knew that I was clumsy enough to spill it over my beautiful dress. We had a pumpkin and butternut squash soup to start, with lovely, warm homemade bread. Then it was sea bass fillet or salmon for a main course before a delicious white chocolate and orange mousse for pudding. Drinking champagne for the toasts was tough after that and I was feeling glad I had worn high-waisted knickers as I knew it would hide my food baby. Sometimes Bridget Jones knew what she was talking about.

'Congratulations!' I said, giving Abby a hug as the evening guests started to arrive shortly after we had eaten dinner. 'You look incredible!'

'Thank you.' She smiled a genuine smile. 'And thank you so much for coming and agreeing to sing later.'

'It's not a problem.' I replied, even though my stomach was in knots. I spotted a few other guests waiting to pass on their congratulations. 'You're a wanted woman.'

'I know, it feels like I'm famous!' She beamed with a small laugh.

'I'll catch you later.' I said, with a nod.

'Enjoy!'

I scanned the room as I walked around the tables, desperately trying to find someone else I recognised who I could talk to. I spotted Leanne and Abby's parents drinking at the bar and engrossed in a conversation. Leanne was having an intense conversation with an usher. The hen party girls were nowhere to be seen, possibly having a cigarette... I was completely alone.

'Hey, look a bit warmer now.'

I turned in the direction of Liam's voice. 'Hey. Yeah it's nice and cosy in here.' I commented. I was sure it was a mixture of heat and of nerves for my upcoming performance.

'You look lovely as always.' He said with a shy smile. 'Are you having a good day?'

'It's wonderful. The perfect wedding.' I replied.

'It really is. I hope one day I meet my soulmate and it's just as perfect.' His voice sounded sad as he looked at the couples mingling around us.

'It will be.' I told him. 'And she's out there somewhere just waiting to be found.'

'Er... hey Liam.' Kat said, awkwardly as she appeared at my side. 'Lucy, are you nearly ready to perform? First dance is in two minutes.'

'I'd better go and set up my guitar.' I said to Liam, apologetically, as Kat disappeared. 'I'll catch you later?'

'Sure.' He replied with a small smile.

I quickly tested my guitar was still tuned as the chilled-out music played in the background underneath the many conversations taking place in the room. I decided it was fine and I took a deep breath before announcing into the microphone. 'Mr and Mrs Jones will now have their first dance.'

Guests moved towards the edge of the dancefloor and I noticed that Adriana had now arrived with her date, her full-length dress a lovely shade of gold. She gave me a wave as Leanne appeared beside her, fiddling with material of her bridesmaid dress. Abby and her husband made their way to the dancefloor and smiled up at me, ready for me to start.

I took a deep breath and played the opening chords as they wrapped their arms around each other and started to dance.

 _'Heart beats fast_

 _Colors and promises_

 _How to be brave?_

 _How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?_

 _But watching you stand alone,_

 _All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow._

 _One step closer_

 _I have died every day waiting for you_

 _Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you_

 _For a thousand years_

 _I'll love you for a thousand more.'_

It was a beautiful dance and by the end, the parents had joined in. I started up the next song, which was 'I'm yours' by Jason Mraz and a few people cheered as they pulled their dance partners onto the floor. I winked as Leanne was asked to dance by a good-looking blonde usher. She smiled and nodded, accepting his invitation. My body had relaxed by the time the second song was over and I knew there was just one left on my set; one which put me under a lot of pressure because my _boyfriend_ owned it. I'd practised the others on Skype with him but this one I'd been too embarassed to do so. There was something cringe-worthy about covering your boyfriend's songs, especially when they'd been in the charts for weeks and had won awards. I sucked in a deep breath as I started to play the chords and then it was time to sing.

 _'When your legs don't work like they used to before_

 _And I can't sweep you off of your feet_

 _Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?_

 _Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?_

 _And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70_

 _And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23_

 _And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_

 _Maybe just the touch of a hand_

 _Well, me - I fall in love with you every single day_

 _And I just wanna tell you I am_

 _So honey now_

 _Take me into your loving arms_

 _Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

 _Place your head on my beating heart_

 _I'm thinking out loud_

 _Maybe we found love right where we are._

 _When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades-'_

I paused and looked up, my eyes wide because someone else had joined in with the song. I looked across the room in surprise when I saw Ed stood there in a suit at the back of the crowd, a microphone in his hand. Unable to continue singing from shock, I let him continue as he walked through the crowd. It had to be a set up.

' _And the crowds don't remember my name_

 _When my hands don't play the strings the same way (mmm...)_

 _I know you will still love me the same_

 _'Cause honey your soul could never grow old, it's evergreen_

 _And, baby, your smile's forever in my mind and memory_

 _I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_

 _Maybe it's all part of a plan_

 _Well, I'll just keep on making the same mistakes_

 _Hoping that you'll understand_

That, baby, now _'_

He reached me onstage and shot me a lopsided smile of encouragement, telling me in my head to join him for the chorus.

 _'Take me into your loving arms_

 _Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

 _Place your head on my beating heart_

 _Thinking out loud_

 _Maybe we found love right where we are (oh ohh).'_

I played the chord bridge and looked at him in disbelief as the crowd cheered.

 _'La la la la la la la la lo-ud.'_

He was supposed to still be in America. Wasn't he flying home tomorrow?

 _'So, baby, now_

 _Take me into your loving arms_

 _Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

 _Oh, darling, place your head on my beating heart_

 _I'm thinking out loud_

 _But maybe we found love right where we are_

 _Oh, baby, we found love right where we are_

 _And we found love right where we are.'_

The guests stopped dancing and applauded and cheered. Ed squeezed my waist and I put my guitar back on the stand, making my way off the stage with him closely behind me. 'Aren't you supposed to still be in America?'

'Surprise.' He replied with a lopsided smile.

'That was freakin' awesome!' Leanne cheered, appearing at my side. 'Sweet timing too.'

I looked at my friend, suspiciously. 'Did you know this was going to happen?'

'Well Ed wanted to surprise you so I sent him the details... he was supposed to have arrived before the song started though. What kept you?' She looked at my boyfriend with a puzzled expression.

'I couldn't get a cab.' He replied with a shrug.

'If _you_ couldn't get a cab then there's no hope for the rest of us!' She said, dramatically.

Abby appeared at my side and pulled me into a hug. 'Thank you so much, Luce!' She pulled back and looked at my boyfriend before pulling him into a hug. 'And thank you Ed! That was so cool!'

'No problem... Abby.' He said with a smile. 'And congratulations.'

'Thank you! Eek this really is the best day ever!' She grabbed Leanne's arm. 'But I really need to pee so sister duties call!'

'Catch you later.' I smiled as they both disappeared.

'Hope you didn't mind me crashing your set.' Ed said, wrapping both of his arms around my waist and pulling me closer to him when we were alone.

'Crash _my_ set? It's _your_ song.' I cringed and he laughed. 'That's the second time you've heard me cover one of your songs, damn it.'

'You were great.' He whispered, kissing my forehead. 'And it made a pretty sweet duet.' He tilted my chin up so that I was looking at him and then he kissed my lips softly. 'Mmm I've missed that.'

'Me too.' I replied, kissing him again.

 _'Do, do, do, do-do-do,'_ I smiled at the introduction to the Mcfly song the DJ had put on. Abby, Leanne and I had been to see them at least once a year since I met Leanne. Guilty pleasures and all. I looked over at Abby, who was dragging her husband onto the dancefloor and I laughed when I realised Leanne was grabbing the usher, trying to get him to dance with her.

 _'Do, do, do, do-do-do, Do, do, do, do-do-do,'_

Ed reached out for my hand and I looked up at him in surpise. 'You're going to dance with me to this?'

'Maybe I like this song.' He replied, his voice serious. 'Or maybe I just want to lose my street cred.'

 _'Today,_

 _I'm laughing the clouds away,_

 _I hear what the flowers say,_

 _And drink every drop of rain,_

 _And I see,_

 _Places that I have been,_

 _In ways that I've never seen,_

 _My side of the grass is green,_

 _Ooh I can't believe that it's so simple,_

 _It feels so natural to me.'_

I smiled as he placed a hand on the small of my back and took my right hand in his left. I placed my free hand on his shoulder and he pulled me closer.

 _'If this is love,_

 _Then love is easy,_

 _It's the easiest thing to do,_

 _If this is love,_

 _Then love completes me,_

 _Cause it feels like I've been missing you,_

 _A simple equation,_

 _With no complications,_

 _To leave you confused,_

 _If this is love, love, love,_

 _Hmm it's the easiest thing to do.'_

'Did you have a good day?' Ed asked as we walked into the hotel. He carried an overnight bag over his shoulder and held my hand with his free one. The hotel was a small tudor one with wooden beams and white walls. It only had six guestrooms, one of which I had hired out, so it suited us fine.

'It was a wonderful wedding.' I smiled up at him as we greeted the receptionist.

Her eyes widened as she looked at Ed beside me and she just managed to choke out, 'Good evening.'

My room was on the first floor and it was simple but quaint; polished wooden flooring, cream walls, a wooden dresser and a wooden four-poster bed. There was an ensuite too, which was ideal.

'Nice bed.' Ed commented, a smile playing on his lips, as he put down his bag.

'It was the only one left.' I replied. 'Not that I mind, it's quite princessy, don't you think? I've always wanted a four-poster bed.'

'What time is check out?' He asked as I hung my faux fur jacket on the side of the dresser.

'Eleven thirty and breakfast is served until eleven.' I said as I kicked off my shoes, which had started to make my feet sore. It wasn't easy being a woman, that was for sure.

'Bit of a lie-in then.' He replied with a smile, walking over to me and wrapping his arms around my waist. 'By the way, did I tell you yet how beautiful you are?'

I blushed and bit my lip. 'Don't be ridiculous.'

'It's true.' He said with a smile, pressing his lips to mine before I could argue again. I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck and made the kiss deeper, allowing his tongue to gently trace my lips. His hands moved along my back as he continued to kiss me and our breathing quickened. Was this it? A disturbing memory of being forced against a wall and hands wandering up my skirts despite my pleads filled my head and I flinched, moving back from Ed.

His eyes turned filled with concern. 'Are you okay?'

'I'm going to get ready for bed.' I replied, faking a smile. I grabbed my pyjamas and headed into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and sank against it onto the floor, my hands shaking. It had been a year but why did Rich still haunt me? Was he always going to fill my mind with horrible images I couldn't shake away or was it just because Ed was the first guy I'd let myself be with since? I needed to get over this sooner or later. The past was the past and I couldn't let it affect my future.


	4. Ups and Downs

On Monday morning, I found myself stood outside the Warner Records London office, trying my best not to freak out. It was bitterly cold, so I'd worn my black high-waisted jeans, a cream-coloured silk blouse and a thick faux fur coat with my black heeled shoe-boots. Ed had given me a reassuring smile before the taxi had headed off to his Camden apartment with him inside. And now I was freaking out. The security guard gave me a confused look, so I decided I'd better step inside.

'Can I help you?' The female receptionist asked with a smile as I approached her desk.

'Erm, yes.. I'm Lucy May. I have an appointment for ten o'clock.' I replied, wiping my clammy hands subtly on my jeans. I adjusted my guitar on my shoulder and she tapped something into a computer.

'Please take a seat.'

I sat down on a white modern-looking sofa, which wasn't quite as comfortable as I'd hoped it would be, and watched the constant flow of people in and out of the building.

'Good morning, Lucy.'

I looked up to see Joseph standing in front of me. 'Good morning.' I replied, nervously, standing up and shaking his hand.

'Thank you for coming in today. Shall we go to my office?'

'Sure.' I followed him down the corridor, looking at the platinum records framed and nailed onto the wall. I smiled when I saw one of Ed's there. He opened the door for me and I walked inside the office, where everything was black and white and modern-looking. It was a bit too pricey to be Ikea too.

'Take a seat.' He sat, signalling to a black office chair. I sat in it carefully, propping up my guitar against the wall. 'So we've been watching back videos from your concert and here at Warner we think you have a lot of potential.' He explained, sitting back in his chair. I nodded, unsure of what to say. 'I would like to offer you a contract straight away but I'm afraid it just isn't that simple.'

'Oh?'

'Company policy is that we hear a showcase of just two or three original songs by the artist and then we take the demo CD and discuss whether or not we would like to sign the act.'

'Okay.' I replied, unsure of what else to say. It wasn't exactly a scenario I was familiar with.

'We've set up the conference room for this morning for your showcase. I hope that's okay. That's why we asked you to bring your guitar.'

My heart hammered against my chest and I was glad I hadn't eaten any breakfast. I felt sick. 'Yes, that's fine.'

'Fantastic. Shall we go on through?'

 _Now?_ I stood up carefully, wishing I hadn't decided to wear heeled shoes. My knees were shaking with nerves and I hoped that it didn't show. I grabbed my guitar and followed him to another room, where a chair was set up by itself at one end and four chairs were at the other, three of which were filled; two by men and one by a woman.

'Okay Lucy,' Joseph said, sitting in the final seat, 'I'd just like you to play your three strongest songs to us, it's that simple.' _Simple_? Was it simple having four people staring at me, taking notes on their iPads. I realised a video camera was set up and it made me feel even worse. Joseph nodded at me with a small smile. 'Ready when you are.'

I decided not to sit on the laid out chair as I worried that my voice wouldn't sound good; at least that's what my singing coach had always told me. Instead, I hooked my guitar strap over my shoulder and played the opening chords to my song.

 _'Skies are crying, I am watching_

 _Catching tear drops in my hands_

 _Only silence as it's ending_

 _Like we never had a chance_

 _Do you have to make me feel like_

 _There's nothing left of me?_

 _You can take everything I have_

 _You can break everything I am_

 _Like I'm made of glass_

 _Like I'm made of paper_

 _Go on and try to tear me down_

 _I will be rising from the ground_

 _Like a skyscraper_

 _Like a skyscraper.'_

There was only a little applause, which was weird, but I tried my best to keep it cool. I ended my showcase with 'Heart attack' and 'Believe in me', trying to show the range I had as best as I could.

'Thanks for coming in Lucy. I'll be in touch.' Joseph said, shaking my hand after I had put my guitar back in its case.

I threw the instrument over my shoulder. 'Thank you for your time.'

I caught the train back to Camden, deciding I needed time to calm down. I was so tense. At least on the X Factor they gave you an answer pretty much straight away. I had to wait and I had no idea how long for.

'How did it go?' Ed asked as he greeted me in the doorway of his apartment with a kiss on the forehead. He stepped aside to let me in and then closed the door behind me.

'I have no idea.' I replied, honestly. 'I couldn't tell if they liked it or not but Joseph said he'd be in touch.'

'He's got a pretty good poker face.' Ed replied, kissing my nose. 'You're freezing.'

'It's really cold out there.' I told him, shaking off my jacket and enjoying the warmth coming from the radiator. 'Though they did say it might snow in a week or two.'

'So I've got you until tomorrow afternoon... fancy going out later?' He asked, wrapping his warm arms around my back.

'Sure.' I smiled, kissing him softly on the lips.

'First though, let's warm up those lips of yours.'

I changed into my over-the-knee socks, black shoe boots and a white long-sleeved skater-shaped jumper dress for going out, adding my thick black coat and a beret in a hope of keeping a little warm.

'You look nice.' Ed said as I walked into his bedroom to grab my bag.

I looked at his black jeans, black t-shirt and red plaid shirt and I smiled. 'So do you.'

He reached out and squeezed my hand. 'You know, it's three months today since I took you to the Sealife Centre.'

I looked at him, suspiciously. 'You have an awfully good memory for a guy.'

'What can I say?' He grinned. 'Oh, I forgot... I have something for you.' He grabbed his rucksack which was still packed from America, and reached inside. He rummaged around for a moment and then pulled out a square-shaped gift in shiny red wrapping paper.

'You do know that Christmas is next month, right?' I said as he passed me the small package.

'Well it's Thanksgiving soon and your family in America will be celebrating... maybe it's an early Thanksgiving present.' He said with a cheeky smile.

I carefully opened the paper until I was left with an album case. It was black with an orange paw print on it and it said Ed Sheeran in the corner. 'Is this your new album?' I asked as I turned over the CD case and scanned the track list.

'Yep and you're the first person to own it.' He smiled. 'It's not released until December 1st.'

I looked down at the list at the songs, some of which I recognised and others I did not. I paused at the final track. ' _Little things_? Tell me you did not put a song on here about me talking in my sleep. I thought you finished your album ages ago?'

'I wanted to add an extra track.' He said with a playful smile. 'So I hit the studio over in Nashville and sent it to my producers and then the album artwork and booklet were updated. Let me know what you think when you listen to it. Maybe Leanne will want to hear it too?'

Yeah, I bet she would. 'Okay.' I said, returning the smile. I tucked it into my floral overnight bag for safe-keeping. 'So where are we off to?'

'I thought we would head to Jamie's restaurant in Islington.' He explained, referring to Jamie Oliver. I'd not missed their rap which had come out back in spring for Food Revolution Day.

'Sounds good.'

We opted for taking the tube, something which always surprised me. Interviewers and other members of the press had always said Ed was just a normal guy and he used public transport, went to coffee shops and went to pubs just like everyone else, but I was still surprised just how true that was. He caught me as the tube started up and I nearly fell onto a stranger's lap. It wasn't the first time I'd nearly done that before. He shot me a lopsided smile, adjusting the grey beanie on his head.

'So have you been to Fifteen before?' I asked, referring to the restaurant we were going to. I tightened my grip on the pole I was holding, trying to stop myself from falling. Clumsiness and a tube train did not mix.

'A few times. I used to go to a cheaper place down the road when I was crashing on my brother's sofa in Angel.' He explained.

I looked around the tube carriage and wondered if I was going to meet Ed's family and if so, when. I didn't know that much about them to be honest and it bothered me a little. Two teenage girls met my eyes and looked at me as if trying to work out who I was. Then they looked at Ed with wide eyes. The tube stopped at our spot and he wrapped his arm around me as we left the carriage. Nice timing.

Dinner was lovely and it was a nice way to take my mind off wondering how my showcase had gone and whether or not I was going to be signed. After arguing over the bill (which ended in Ed paying anyway), we headed to a pub down the road, one where Ed used to go on a regular basis. He'd even performed there a few times. The Lord was a traditional British pub in a busy part of Angel and it was filled with locals. We walked in and I realised that there were only a few girls in there; we were definitely the minority.

'Well look who it is!' The landlord said as we stepped over to the bar. 'It's been a while, hey, bigshot?'

'Al mate, it's good to see you.' Ed said, shaking his hand. 'I'll try not to leave it so long next time.'

'You'd better not.' The tubby man with scruffy black hair said with a grin. He looked over at me. 'And who's this beautiful lady you've brought in to my pub? She looks like she'd be better suited at Ladybird round the corner.'

'This is my girlfriend, Lucy.' Ed replied with a smile.

'Nice to meet you.' I said, shaking his hand, my cheeks flushed.

'Well first drink's on me. What can I get you?' Al said.

'Two pints please.' I replied with a smile and Al looked at me in surprise.

'She's a keeper.' He said to Ed, winking at me.

Ed smiled, squeezing my waist. 'She sure is.'

We found a table at the back of the pub, near the fire and I shrugged off my coat and pulled off my hat and gloves, thankful to be somewhere warm and cosy. I smiled at the signed photo performing in the beer garden, which was hung on the wall. 'This place is nice.'

'It is, isn't it?' He nodded in agreement. He spotted someone coming in from the garden and he squinted before grinning. 'I'll be back in two seconds.' He slipped out of his chair and approached the man with curly hair and a striped jumper on. They hugged and said something to each other before returning to me. 'Lucy, this is my brother, Matt. Matt, this is Lucy.'

'Nice to meet you.' Matt smiled, shaking my hand, and I could see the ressemblance between them. 'I've heard a lot about you.'

'All good, I hope?' I said, nervously.

'Of course.' He smiled, reassuringly, putting down his drink and sitting in the spare seat at our table. 'You have my brother wrapped around your little finger.' He looked over at his brother and grinned, wickedly before continuing. 'You should have dropped me a message to say you were back from the States.'

We spent the rest of the evening chatting to Ed's brother, Matt, and despite being shy at first, I felt surprisingly comfortable around him. He was a classical composer, so music ran in the family, and it was nice that Ed was able to talk about us being soulfinders around him, as he was a savant too. Matt left before us as he was working early the next day, so we hung around and chatted to the locals.

'Excuse me, could I please have a picture with you both?' A girl around our age asked as we were about to leave, running her hand throw her brunette pixie cut.

'Both of us?' I asked in surprise.

'Yeah, you're Lucy May. You're music's awesome' She smiled at me and I smiled back in surprise; she'd listened to my stuff?

'Sure.' Ed smiled. 'Al, can you take a photo of the three of us?' He called to the landlord who nodded, grabbing the iPhone. Al counted down and then took a few different shots.

'Thank you so much. It's so cool meeting you both.' The girl gushed before heading back to her friends.

'Looks like you've got more fans than you thought.' Ed laughed as we both put on our beanies.

I reached for my coat and gloves, preparing myself for the cold outside. 'That was crazy.' I replied as I buttoned up my black a-line shaped wool coat.

He shot me a cute smile and held out his hand. 'You ready?'

'Yep.' I locked my fingers with his and we walked out of the pub, only to be greeted by a few camera flashes.

'Ed! Lucy!'

'Going back to your roots?'

'Did you have a nice evening?'

 _Keep walking and we'll get a cab._ Ed told me, squeezing my hand. He smiled at the paparazzi, as did I as we continued walking down the road, ignoring them. We reached a taxi rank and Ed opened the door for me so I could quickly slide in and make our getaway.

'How did they know where we were?' I asked Ed when we were back in his living room, sat on the sofa. I had my legs across his lap, my usual position, and a cup of tea warming through my hands.

'All it takes is someone to recognise me and put in a phonecall. Either that or they just happened to be around.' He shrugged, sipping at his tea.

'Do you think that girl might have tipped them off?' I asked, putting down my cup of tea and tracing the tattoos on my boyfriend's bicep.

'Maybe.' He replied, planting a kiss on forehead. 'But I'm not bothered. It means once again I'm showing you off to the world.'

'Making front page news again!' Hector commented as I walked into work the following evening in my over-sized black jumper dress and leggings. I stripped off my coat and beanie as the heating warmed my body and looked at the tabloid Hector was holding up for me. I looked at the picture of Ed and I hand-in-hand, leaving the pub the previous night.

'Ed Sheeran went back to his roots with a visit to The Lord last night with girlfriend Lucy May and his brother Matthew Sheeran.' I read. 'Really? That's hardly exciting news.' I commented, shaking my head.

'It's continued on page five.' Hector explained, opening up the paper.

I raised an eyebrow at the photographs; me and Ed on the red carpet and his label party, me and Sky on Halloween, me performing and even one of me in Brighton wearing jeans, an oversized jumper, a beanie and my boots. I'd not even realised someone had taken a photo of the latter. The headline read 'Our New Style Crush' and I laughed as the writer had included where to get clothes similar to mine from. I scanned the article, quickly reading it:

 _Lucy May, a 22-year-old singer-songwriter from Brighton has been dating Ed Sheeran for a few months now and she has already become our new style crush! Lucy always looks ready for a concert or gig in her signature high-waisted jeans and faux leather and now she's even brought out the faux fur jackets so she's ready for winter. Rumour has it, Warner Records are interested in signing her so watch this space!_

'So that's super weird.' I commented, putting down the newspaper.

'Looks like you might not need to work here for much longer.' Hector smiled. 'Good on you.'

'Let's not get ahead of ourselves.' I replied, turning off my phone. 'I'll go and throw my things out back.'

I hung up my coat and put my bag in my locker, quickly adjusting my hat-hair in the mirror.

'Style icon, huh?'

I jumped and turned to look at my boss, Stefan with his dark spiked-hair and green eyes. 'You really need to stop sneaking up on me.'

'Sorry.' He replied with a cocky smile. 'So when are we going out?'

'Seriously? You're going to keep trying this?' I said, shaking my head. 'You're unbelievable.'

'I'm a man who gets what he wants.' He said, his eyes serious.

'Not this time.' I threw my hair over my shoulder and walked back out to the bar.

'Hey Luce, there's a friend of yours in here asking for you!' Hector called out as I walked through the door, feeling irritated.

'Oh really?' I said, looking around the busy bar and expecting to see Leanne or Adriana. I froze when I saw Rich stood there instead; my ex boyfriend.

He ran a hand through his mousey-brown hair and shot me a smile, the smile I _used_ to love. 'Hello Luce.'

I felt sick as I looked at him and I hated to admit it, but I felt scared. 'What... what are you doing here?'

'Thought we were due for a catch up. I'll have a pint please.'

I walked past Hector, who watched me carefully. He'd obviously noticed my expression and perhaps he even felt the tension. He put down the glasses he'd been ready to take out the back to the dishwasher and started to wipe down the bar instead. I shot him a graceful smile as I poured Rich a pint. I handed it over. 'Three fifty please.'

He handed me the exact money and I put it in the till, hoping that he'd disappear... or that I would. 'So I thought maybe we could catch up over dinner sometime or go for a drink.' Rich said, interrupting my thoughts.

'And why would I do that?' I said, feeling small. 'It's over. It's been over for a year.

'It's not over until I say it is.' He said, reaching out for my hand and I moved back away from him.

'Excuse me mate, but we can't have you in here upsetting our staff.' Stefan said, appearing at my side. 'I'm going to have to ask you to leave.'

'But I've just got a drink!' Rich said, gritting his teeth.

'Then take it with you. Either way, you need to leave.' Hector said, appearing on my other side. I was thankful they were both there at that moment, their arms folded and their voices stern.

'This is ridiculous! You think you're better than me Lucy, is that it? Sleeping your way to the top? You've always been a slag.' Rich hissed, the pint glass breaking in his hand.

'Get out or I'm calling the police.' Stefan hissed, grabbing the phone.

'Bunch of dickheads!' My ex yelled, walking out of the door and slamming it behind him. The other customers looked at him, their eyes wide, before going back to their conversations.

Stefan caught me as my knees gave way and I started to shake. 'I'm going to call you a cab and send you home.' He said, his voice soft. 'Does he know where you live?' I nodded, mutely. 'Then invite a friend over to stay with you and keep the doors locked.'

An hour later and I was curled up on my sofa with Leanne, both of us wearing our onesies whilst we waited for my heating to warm up the tiny flat. I had my head on her shoulder as she gently stroked my hair as the tears rolled down my cheeks.

'It's not too late to talk to someone about it, you know.' She whispered.

'I know.' I replied, feeling like a child again, except for the eyeliner and mascara streaming down my face. 'But it would ruin his life if I spoke to the police.'

'And he's trying to ruin yours, Luce. You can't let him do this. He wants to ruin your life as best he can.'

'I'm not going to let him ruin it.'

'Good.' She said, handing me a tissue. 'Because you deserve so much better.'

I was woken up the next day by my phone ringing. My eyes felt sore from crying and I squinted to find my phone.

'Hello?' I said, sitting up in bed and nudging a snoring Leanne with my foot.

'Hello, is this Lucy May I'm speaking to?'

'Yes.' I replied, trying to work out the voice.

'Hello, this is Joseph Smith's personal assistant from Warner Records. I'm calling to offer you some good news; he'd like to sign you to the record label.'

'Wow.' I said, resisting the urge to squeal.

'I'll e-mail over your contract for you to read, but it needs to be signed and returned by Friday at the latest. If you're happy with it, we'd like you to head up on Friday for a meeting to discuss what's next for you.'

'Yeah, sure.' I replied, continuing to prod my friend with my foot.

'Is 10am okay? Obviously you can call us if there are any questions you have.'

'Yes, sure.'

'Great. See you then.'

'Would you quit nudging me?' Leanne said as I put down my phone. She looked at my gawping face with confusion. 'What is it?'

'I'VE JUST BEEN SIGNED TO WARNER RECORDS!' I squealed, jumping on my bed.

'THAT'S FREAKIN' AWESOME!' Leanne squealed, pulling me into a hug. 'Oh my god, so amazing! You're going to be famous!'

'I know.' I replied with a smile. 'I'm finally going to be heard.'

'Stefan isn't going to be happy about this.' Hector sighed as I wiped down the bar that night after we'd locked up.

'I'm not going to be happy about what?' Stefan said, appearing in the bar area and making us both jump. I sprayed some more antibacterial spray and wiped at a watermark on the mahoghany.

Hector blew out his breath in a whistle and grabbed the last few dirty glasses, before turning to me. 'Good luck.' He said before disappearing out the back to fill the dishwasher.

'Well?' Stefan said, stacking up some chairs.

'Warner Records have signed me.' I explained, moving to help him with the stacking.

'Congratulations.' He replied, casually.

'I need some time off.' I continued, biting my lip. 'They want me up there on Friday and maybe Saturday too... and who knows when else.'

'You've already had a lot of time off.' Stefan frowned, pushing a table to the side and handing me the mop. 'You've almost had your whole year's holiday and you've only been working here three months, Lucy.'

'I know but this is my shot... my big break. It's just a few days here and there.'

'And then it will turn to weeks and then you're off to America for the festive period.' He said, shaking his head. 'The answer is no.'

'But-'

'It's no, Lucy.' He said, his voice firm. 'Otherwise I'm going to have to let you go.'

'Fine.' I said before I could stop myself.

'Fine?'

'Fine, I quit.' I marched out the back and grabbed my belongings.

'You quit? Seriously?!' He said in disbelief, following me to the staff room.

'I've waited long enough for this break Stefan and now I've got it I'm not letting it pass. Plus, I was getting a little fed up of being harassed for a date by my boss!' I replied before storming out of the bar, closing the door firmly behind me.


	5. Photographs

'I can't believe you quit your job.' Leanne tutted the following day. I had two days until my Warner Records meeting and I'd been told that I couldn't announce the signing publically yet as they were waiting for the signed contract; I'd read it and now Ed was reading it just to check that I hadn't missed anything.

'But I've got a new job now.' I smiled, twirling the spaghetti around my fork.

'What if it goes wrong though, Luce?' Adriana frowned from the other side of me. 'You'll be down the job center again.'

'This is my dream girls and I don't want anything in the way.' I told them, certainly. 'Now please can we change the subject. I didn't invite you here for a fight.' They both glanced at each other.

'So how's the boyfriend?' Leanne asked Adriana in an attempt to change the subject.

'He's great.' She smiled in response. 'We went out for dinner last night at that new Italian place in town. It's really nice... and pretty romantic.'

'So it's serious?' I asked her, sipping a glass of wine.

'It's still early days. You know I don't like to rush things but...'

'You've slept with him!' Leanne said, her eyes wide. 'Oh my god, Ad, you dirty girl!'

'You know it's completely out of character for me.' Adriana said, defending herself. 'But he's just so _hot._ '

'So was that usher at my sister's wedding but I managed to keep my knickers on!' Leanne turned to face me with her judging eyes. 'And what about you, hmm? Any news on that front?'

'No!' I replied. _Because I keep freaking out everytime it almost happens_ , I added silently.

'That surprises me.' Adriana said. 'It's been what? Three months?'

'We're taking things slow.' I told her, taking another sip of my drink. 'Oh, I totally forgot!' I said, standing up and earning confused looks from my friends. I reached into my bag and pulled out the gift Ed had given me only a few days beforehand. 'Album listening party anyone?'

'No way! Is that the new album?!' Leanne gasped, snatching the CD out of my hand. 'Oh my god, it is!'

'Be careful!' I told her, taking it back and removing the disc from the case. 'It's the first available copy.'

'Ah, the benefits of going out with a worldwide superstar.' Adriana said with a smile. 'Come on, put it on, let's hear it!'

I did as I was told and slipped the CD into my CD player. I pressed play and my boyfriend's voice filled the room, making me smile.

 _'I should ink my skin with your name_

 _And take my passport out again_

 _And just replace it_

 _See I could do without a tan_

 _On my left hand,_

 _Where my fourth finger meets my knuckle_

 _And I should run you a hot bath_

 _And fill it up with bubbles_

 _'Cause maybe you're loveable_

 _And maybe you're my snowflake_

 _And your eyes turn from green to grey_

 _In the winter I'll hold you in a cold place_

 _And you should never cut your hair_

 _'Cause I love the way you flick it off your shoulder_

 _And you will never know_

 _Just how beautiful you are to me_

 _But maybe I'm just in love_

 _When you wake me up.'_

It was funny lying on the sofas, drinking wine, as we listened to his voice and I could almost imagine him in the room. In a way, I wished he was but I was sure that he'd probably feel uncomfortable listening to his own music. I looked over at the girls who were humming and tapping in time to the music, smiles on their faces.

'It's really good.' Adriana said, happily.

'All of his songs are incredible.' Leanne sighed. 'Does he ever write a crap song?'

'Probably not.' I laughed, putting my hands behind my head as above song started.

 _'If we take this bird in_

 _With its broken leg_

 _We could nurse it_

 _She said_

 _Come inside_

 _For a little lie down with me_

 _If you fall asleep_

 _It wouldn't be the worst thing_

 _But when I wake up_

 _Your make-up is on my shoulder_

 _And tell me, if I lie down_

 _Would you stay now_

 _And let me hold you?_

 _But if I kissed you_

 _Will your mouth read this truth?_

 _Darling, how I miss you_

 _Strawberries taste how lips do_

 _And it's not complete yet_

 _Mustn't get our feet wet_

 _'Cause that leads to regret_

 _Diving in too soon_

 _And I'll owe it all to you_

 _My little bird_

 _My little bird.'_

I looked over at Leanne and noticed she was frowning. 'What is it?'

'Nothing.' She said, plastering on a fake smile.

'Worst lier ever.' I told her, returning the frown she'd had on just moments earlier. Leanne exchanged a nervous look with Adriana. 'What am I missing?'

'The lyrics. Little Bird. Sound familiar?' Leanne said, biting her lip and typing something into her phone. She passed her phone to me. There was a picture from around five months ago of Ed and Sky.

 _Hanging out with little bluebird skybright._

I remembered seeing a little blue bird necklace around Sky's neck when I'd met her and I stiffened. 'It's about her, isn't it?'

'Maybe.' Leanne said, taking her phone back.

'But we don't know it for sure.' Adriana said, giving me a reassuring smile.

I thought back to all of the #sed hashtags I'd seen on social media and all of the shippers, some of which were still posting freeze-frames from the Everything Has Changed music video. He'd been in love with her, hadn't he? That's why he'd stayed by her side that night in Detroit when she was injured. I'd seen the way he looked at her when he sang. My eyes glazed over and I felt sad. 'What if he's still in love with her?'

'Don't be ridiculous.' Adriana said, shaking her head. 'He's clearly in love with you.'

'What if I'm just the rebound girl?' I said, sitting up as another song came on.

'You're not.' My friends chorused, their faces sympathetic, but they couldn't be sure. No one could.

'Hey you.' Ed said the following day when he phoned me. 'How are you?'

'Okay thanks.' I lied. Truthfully, though, I wasn't. I'd hardly slept after Adriana and Leanne had reluctantly left the night before. All I could see was Ed and Sky in my head. Sure, she was married but that didn't mean that he had stopped loving her.

'I miss you. Want to come and stay up here tonight?' He asked, his voice hopeful on the other end of the line.

'I'm sorry, I have plans with the girls.' I lied, feeling guilty doing so. I just wasn't ready to confront him about the song.

'Oh.' He said, sounding disappointed. 'Well then I'll see you tomorrow? This contract is fine, by the way, so go ahead and sign it. It's pretty much the same as mine.'

'Okay, I'll sign it then, thank you.'

He paused and I knew he could tell something was wrong, but he didn't push it. 'See you tomorrow and hope it goes okay.'

'See you tomorrow.'

I got up earlier than planned the next day, but I decided it was a good thing; I had bags under my eyes from lack of sleep, so it was going to take a while to hide them with make-up. I applied some Benefit eye-brightening cream under my eyes after my shower and allowed it to dry whilst I blow-dryed my hair. I applied some foundation and then some concealer, checking my work quickly in the mirror. It would do. I looked at my weekend bag on the floor, the one which I had not yet packed. Did I really want to have this conversation with Ed? Leanne had told me the night before that I had to have it or I'd always be left wondering if the song was about the pretty petite blonde with the sparkling blue eyes. She'd dropped me a Facebook message, which was still sat unread in my inbox. I checked my e-mails and saw that my cousin, Willow, had been in contact.

 _Hey superstar,_

 _Still disappointed that you're not going me for thanksgiving this year but I don't blame you; you've waited long enough to reach your dream so go for it! I hope everyone at Warner is nice to you and that your first meeting as a signed act goes well. Let me know what happens and remember to tell them that you're off limits from December 20th until 3rd January. I cannot wait to see you!_

 _Love, your favourite cousin in the world and practically sister, Willow_

 _P.S Yes you need to talk to Ed about Sky and find out where his mind is. Don't wimp out girl!_

I let out a sigh and continued with my beauty regime; I applied some natural-looking eyeshadow, a small amount of eyeliner and some mascara. I ran a comb carefully through my loose curls and looked at the outfit I'd decided on; a black floral tea dress with a waist belt, a khaki cable knit cardigan, leggings and my favourite shoe boots. It was cute and I hoped it would live up to my apparent 'style icon' status. I grabbed my wool coat and a scarf and headed to catch my train with my satchel carrying my signed contract.

Although I was now signed to Warner Records, I still felt nauseous when I arrived and I wasn't sure if it was because it was my first meeting or because I had to confront Ed about a certain blonde later. The receptionist greeting me with a smile and I took a seat for five minutes, whilst waiting for Joseph to meet me.

Joseph walked in and shook my hand. 'Thank you for coming down, Lucy.' He led me into an office room, where two other man and a lady were sat around a big white table on black, spinning office chairs. 'Take a seat. I assume you've read through the contract?'

I sat down nervously and wiped my clammy palms on my jeans. 'I've agreed to it and signed it.'

'Wonderful! Thank you for joining me everyone. This is Lucy May, who we have newly signed to our label!' He said and the other people applauded. 'I'd like to introduce you to Jamie-Lee. I am assigning her as your Public Relations Officer. She will be in charge of contacting the media and taking bookings, making sure you get the right publicity.'

Jamie-Lee reached over the table and shook my hand. 'It's a pleasure to meet you Miss May.'

'This is Darren Smith, he works in IT and will be editing your Facebook page, Twitter Page and Youtube Channel. He'll also start on a website for you as soon as possible.

'Sup?' He smiled, shaking my hand. He looked a little like Q from James Bond, only slightly more casual.

'And finally this is your manager, Eric Humphrey.'

Eric shook my hand from beside me. 'We're going to enjoy working together.' I sure hoped so.

'Now you've met everyone, I'll head off as we're on a tight schedule. Lucy, I'm sure we will see each other soon.' Joseph nodded, grabbed his suitcase and then he was out of the door. I looked back at the three people who had been assigned to me so far and I couldn't help but feel nervous.

'No time to waste, pet, up you get.' Eric said as he stood up and grabbed his briefcase. 'We've got a photoshoot to get to.'

'A photoshoot?' I said with a raised eyebrow. It wasn't ideal after a lack of sleep, that was for sure.

'We can't have those unprofessional photos sat on your Facebook Page for long, not now that you're representing Warner Records.' He said, shaking his head. 'Plus we need some photos for the website. Now come on or we will be late.'

Eric wasn't a time waster and he wasn't much of a talker either. A car pulled up and we got inside, heading off to Covent Garden without a single word being exchanged. I focussed on my breathing as I looked out of the window at the fascinating city. The studio didn't look that exciting on the outside and I felt somewhat deflated when the car stopped and we got out. Eric powered off with me striding to keep up with him and we found ourselves in a reception area with a white floor, white walls and white sofas. It kind of reminded me of a hospital.

'Hello, Mr Humphrey.' The male receptionist said with a smile. 'Take a seat, Enrique will be with you shortly.' Enrique? Probably not the one I was thinking of.

'Ah, Mr Humphrey from Warner Records, hello!' Enrique said (definitely not Iglesias) as he walked into the room about ten seconds later. He looked at me and smiled. 'Ah and you must be our new superstar! You've been in the paper already, haven't you?' I nodded and he looked at me carefully. 'Ed Sheeran's girlfriend! Of course! Ah, you're even more beautiful in person.'

'Thank you.' I said, nervously.

'Okay, we're on a tight schedule,' so everyone was saying, 'so let's get you straight into make-up.'

Ten minutes later, I was sat on a make-up chair whilst a blonde guy sorted my hair and a blonde girl sorted my make-up. Eric sat on a sofa at the far side of the room, looking at something on his iPad.

'You sang in Camden last night, didn't you? There's a review of the concert in the Metro.' The girl said as she threaded my eyebrows. I winced.

'Yeah I did.' I replied, resisting the urge to rub my saw eyebrow.

'You looked hot.' The guy complimented as he gently rolled a section of my hair into a roller. 'And I loved your dress from the label party next week, you're fierce girl.' I was fierce?

'Not much of a talker, is he?' The girl said signalling Eric, who was now making a phonecall.

'I guess not. I've only met him this morning.'

'You're not much of one either.' She pointed out, stepping back to check my eyebrows were even. She smiled with satisfaction and grabbed the concealer. My phone beeped and she handed it to me, looking at my wallpaper; it was a selfie of Ed and I in Arundel, in front of the castle. 'So you and Ed, huh?' She smiled, adding concealer to my under-eye area. It was always dark under there, no matter how much sleep I'd had.

'Yeah he's a great guy.' I replied, sheepishly. I wasn't about to pour my feelings out to two people I didn't even know.

My camera transformation took an hour, which was less time than I expected. My eyes had been emphasised with shades of grey and purple eyeshadow, which was darker in the corners with the eye-liner. Fake eyelashes had been added, but not the tacky kind from boots. These looked realistic and pretty. A pinky lipstick had been applied to my lips and they looked completely pout-worthy. The girl handed me my first outfit selection; a short leather skirt and a black vest top. I changed in the fitting room behind a thin curtain and I realised it had been a long time since I'd worn a short skirt. It was super tight so I relieved there was no VPL.

'Awesome!' The make-up artist said as I walked out. She slipped a chunky silver ring into my index finger on my left hand and then some silver dangling earrings into my ear. The hair stylist came back and took out my rollers carefully, coating my hair in product as he moved it until it gave the sexy loose curls they were after.

'Are we ready? Enrique said, walking back into the room.

'Yep!' The make-up girl smiled, slipping my feet into some stupidly high-heeled court shoes. 'All good to go.'

'Right this way.' Enrique said, signalling for me to follow him. I followed him slowly, trying to walk in the shoes without breaking my ankle. They were gorgeous, yes, but they weren't ideal. Eric followed closely behind, having ended his phone conversation.

We walked into a bland-looking studio, where backdrops covered the walls. There wasn't much furniture, only a mirror, a big, furry white rug, a chaise-long and a brown suede chair. The make-up artist and hair stylist followed us in, perching on a bench at the back of the room with their trolley of products.

'So we're going for sexy but classy, yes?' I overheard Enrique say to Eric.

'Yep that's right.' Eric replied. 'We want to catch a wide audience so some cute shots maybe in the other outfit.'

'No problem.' He turned to face me and nodded me over. 'You ready?' As I'd ever be. I walked over to him and he sat me down on the chaise-long. 'Okay, we'll start with something easy.' He said and the hair stylist came over with spray at the ready. He modelled what he wanted me to do and adjusted my arms, looking through the camera. It was a mid-shot of me leaning against the top of the chaise-long. 'And pout.' He clicked away. 'Okay now smile... good, now I want in between... good, you're a natural.' Obviously all the pouting selfies with Leanne and Willow paid off. 'Good, now can you lie down? Yep.. put your head there.' I did as I was told. 'Josh, can you just adjust her hair from me, it's blocking her lovely face... yep that's better.' He turned around to the two women sat on their laptops. 'Are you editing these as they come through Lena, Gabby? They're going straight to the label this afternoon.'

'We're on it boss.' The girl with the blonde bob said with a smile.

The photoshoot lasted two hours in total and I was starving by the time it was done. I'd posed lying down across the chaise-long, kicking my legs in the air with my hair draped over the edge. I'd posed on a white fur rug, holding my hair and looking 'seductive.' And then I'd got changed into a more girly outfit; a navy blue short dress with a v-neck which was tight to my waist and slightly more floaty as it fell above my thighs. My make-up had been made more subtle and the photos were more fun as I smiled, laughed and tried not to be blown away by the fan they'd turned on to give volume to my hair.

Eric flicked through them on the laptop. 'Great, can you burn these to a disk?' He turned to face me. 'Lucy, get your stuff, we're leaving in a minute.'

'Okay I'll just change.'

'No time and you're keeping the clothes so don't worry.'

I slipped off the killer heels and hurried back to the dressing room. It was November and I didn't fancy freezing. I pulled on my leggings under the dress and put on my leather jacket before slipping into my riding boots.

'It's not all glamour, eh?' The make-up artist commented with a smile as I threw on my black scarf in a hope to keep warm.

'It's chaotic, that's for sure.' I replied, grabbing my oversized bag and pushing my jumper, phone and new heels inside.

'Here, this colour looked good on you.' She smiled, handing me the lipstick I'd been wearing. 'Good luck.'

'Thanks.' I replied, hurrying out into the corridor in time for Eric to be coming up it ready to go.

'Come on, the car's here.' He said, putting his hands in his pockets.

We were back in the office and I was absolutely starving and Ed was wondering when I was going to be back. I'd texted him saying I hoped it wouldn't be too much longer. Eric led me up the corridor and into a room filled with Apple Macs at spread out desks. I spotted Darren and he waved us over. 'Have you got the pictures?'

'Of course.' Eric said with a frown, handing over the CD. He turned to me. 'Are you going to sit down?'

I sat down on a chair and looked at the pictures up on screen as Darren rifled through them. Some of them made me look older and others were almost unrecognisable. Then there were a few that I liked and I hoped Ed would too.

'So what's the plan?'

'Well we can select 5 photos to upload to Facebook to show the shoot and then that can be put on her website later on.' Eric replied. 'I think this one, this one and those three are the best shots.' He pointed at the one of me kicking my legs in the air, a close up of me holding hair out of my face, one of me lying on the rug and biting my nail and then two from the more fun shoot; in one I was laughing and it another I was smiling with the hair blowing away from my face.

'Yeah, those are good. I'm thinking this for the cover photo.' Darren said, pointing at me kicking my legs in the air. 'And what about this for the profile picture?' He said, pointing at one which hadn't been chosen so far. I was smiling slightly and I was stood sideways with my hand disappearing behind my head. It showed the waist of my dress and upwards, flattering my body shape.

'Yeah, I think go for it.' Eric said, nodding in agreement. He turned to me. 'I've got to head to a meeting, but I'll drop you an e-mail Monday so check your inbox.' He handed me his card. 'Keep this somewhere safe.'

'Okay.' I replied.

'You'll only be here for another half an hour or so.' He told me. 'Then you can relax. See you later.'

My manager walked off and I felt puzzled and embarrassed that I was clearly tense.

'He can be tough, but he gets things done.' Darren said with a small style as my stomach growled. I frowned with embarrassment. 'Have you not eaten?'

'No, but it's fine, it's only three.' I replied with a shrug.

'Nonsense. Login to your Facebook for me and I'll grab you something from the canteen quick. BLT?'

'Sure.' I smiled. He headed off and I leant over typing my account details into Facebook. I opened up the Facebook page and my eyes widened; I had about one thousand new fans since the concert the previous night. Fantastic! Two minutes later, Darren returned and handed me a bottle of Vitamin Water and a BLT. 'Thank you.'

'Can't have you starve to death after your first shoot.' He laughed. 'Oh sweet, you've had a lot of page visits this week.' He clicked on the profile picture and quickly changed it to the one we'd agreed too, crediting Enrique in the caption. Then he set to work changing the cover photo, before creating my first album. He uploaded the five pictures Eric had chosen and then cracked his knuckles. 'We need to edit your bio so that it says Warner Records and then get your blue verified tick.' He filled in the necessary forms and included a contact email for bookings via Jamie-Lee. Then he applied for a verified tick. 'It won't go through for a few days as they'll contact the label first. Right, next up... Youtube.'

Half an hour later and my Twitter, Instagram and Youtube pictures and bios had all been updated. I didn't mind sitting with Darren as he made an effort to have a conversation with me and he seemed like a nice guy. 'Thanks for this.' I told him with a smile.

'It's okay, I know it can be tough.' He paused before continuing. 'I've seen a lot of girls give it in straight away so I hope you're ready for the mountains and obstacles thrown your way. It isn't going to be easy but I'm sure it's worth it. Now don't tell Eric, but which picture would you like for our Artists section on the Warner Records website.'

'What about the one we've chosen as my profile picture?'

'Safe call.' He replied with a smile. 'I believe you're free to go.'

'Thanks again.'

'No problem.' He said, patting my shoulder. 'Just be careful? It's hard to stay yourself in this world so try not to lose yourself.'

'I'll try not to.'

I was still a little peckish when I left the office with my weekend suitcase, so I munched on a cake in Starbucks and then took my latte-to-go, trying to procrastinate as much as possible. I was too busy being in my own bubble that I hadn't realised the photographer ahead, snapping away. Thank god I had a decent outfit and professional make-up on.

'Lovely outfit, Lucy, where's it from?' The paparazzi asked, clicking away as I made my way past him.

'Topshop.' I replied, thankful that I'd red the label before putting it on earlier.

I ignored the stares from passers-by and kept walking up High Street Kensington. I found myself at Kensington Palace, the official residence of Prince William, Kate and Harry. I'd been to London lots of times, but I found it odd that I'd never visited Kensington Palace. I'd been to Buckingham Palace and even Hampton Court, but I'd never felt the need to visit this royal home. It was a shame, really, because the red-brick building from the 1600s was beautiful and it contained a lot of history.

'Beautiful, isn't it?' A male voice said, breaking my thoughts. I looked at the guy with the mid-length scruffy hair and blue eyes who was watching me.

'It really is.' I said with a smile.

'When Princess Diana died there were over one million bouquets laid here. In some places it was like five foot deep.' He said, signalling to the ground we were stood on.

'Really?' I replied, although I was hardly surprised. I still remembered the day when her death was announced. I remembered my mum being upset and I was too. I'd always wanted to be a princess and I'd looked up to her. I'd cried for the princes too, as I knew I would be lost without my mother.

'It's crazy, huh?' He said, looking back to the palace and then back at me with a friendly smile. 'I'm Greg.'

'Lucy.' I replied as he shook my hand.

'Tourist?' He asked, looking at my mini suitcase.

'Oh no, I'm just up here for work.' I explained, hoping that I wasn't going to have to elaborate.

'Cool.' He smiled. 'I live up here... over in Notting Hill actually.' I noticed there was a camera over his shoulder and I suddenly tensed. Was he paparazzi. 'Oh, don't worry it's just some stupid hobby.'

'I'm sure it's not stupid.' I told him, reassuringly. 'Can I see?'

He twitched his nose, a nervous gesture, and ran a hand through his hair. ' _You_ want to see _my_ photos? Really they're not that good.'

'Please?' I smiled, genuinely interested. My dad was a photographer and I'd tried to pick up some tips from him over the years. The walls in my apartment were decorated with canvas prints of photographs I'd taken on my old DSLR camera. He sat down on a bench, so I sat down beside him as he took the strap off of his neck and turned on his camera. He carefully handed it to me and I flicked through the pictures; a couple kissing in front of the palace, a family laughing, a guard outside the palace and then some pictures of flowers and the landscape. They were fantastic. 'These are amazing.' I told him, honestly.

'Really?' He said, sounding surprised.

'Oh, absolutely. They're so natural and beautiful. I like how you've followed the number one photography rule too; the focus of the picture shouldn't be right in the centre of the shot.'

He raised his eyebrows. 'You're a photographer?'

'Not quite.' I laughed. 'My dad is, though. Mainly weddings these days but he's done a few other things.'

'That's cool.' He smiled, before checking his watch. 'Your lunchbreak must be over.'

'Oh, I'm done for the day.' I replied, which was the truth.

'Not a nine to five job?' He said, sounding surprised.

'Not quite.' I laughed at the irony of it. 'But I'd probably better get going.'

'Can I give you my card? Maybe text me sometime if you want to hang out? Or if you ever need any photos?' He said with a shy smile. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a creased business card.

'Sure, sounds good.' I said with a smile, taking the card from him and tucking it into my handbag. 'It was lovely meeting you.'

'And you.' He said. 'I hope I've not completely weirded you out.'

'Not at all.'

I caught the tube from Notting Hill, only having to change once to get to Camden Town. I tried to work out in my head what I was going to say to Ed, but I just wasn't sure and it was frustrating. The tube reached Camden and I stepped out of the carriage and onto the busy platform, filled with people in vintage clothing, people in leather and indie-types. There were old and young people from almost every ethnicity, something which I loved about London and Camden more specifically. I checked my phone as I walked along the platform, smiling at the most recent post on Warner Records' page;

 _It is with great pleasure that we announce the latest member of our musical family. We'd like to welcome Lucy May to our record label. To keep updated, make sure you 'like' her official Facebook page and find her on Twitter, Instagram and Youtube._

Below the message was the picture of me from my photoshoot, where I was laid on a rug with my finger sexily in my mouth. There were already a load of likes and a few comments.

'Sorry.' I apologised, crashing into someone because I wasn't looking where I was going. The man looked at me and frowned as I passed through the gates, pulling my suitcase behind me.

The walk to Ed's apartment seemed a lot quicker than normal and it hadn't allowed me anymore time to think. I carried my suitcase up the few steps to his doorstep and took a deep breath as I rang the doorbell. The door opened almost straight away and Ed stepped aside, letting me into the warm and closing the door behind me.

He pulled me in for a kiss on the lips, but pulled back when he realised that I was tense. 'What's going on?' He asked, trying to read my expression.

'I know about you and Sky.'


	6. Michigan

'Me and Sky?' He replied, a puzzled look on his face.

' _Little Bird_ is about her, isn't it?' I whispered, my stomach churning and regretting the sandwich and cake I'd eaten.

Ed sighed. 'Come on, let's go and sit down.' I followed him into the living room, where Graham (his cat) was snoozing on the sofa. I declined his offer of tea and waited for him to say something. 'I wrote that song months ago and to be honest, I only put it on the album because Leon said it would be a hit.'

'You love her.'

 _'Loved_.' He corrected. 'Although now I'm not even sure it was that.' His eyes met mine and he read them straight away; I wanted him to explain so he did. 'You probably read in the press about me trying to find the mysterious girl with the good voice?' I nodded and he continued. 'Well, obviously I did... eventually. I turned up at her apartment in Vancouver and asked her to sing a song with me that I'd written. It was great and after a show I even managed to get her to sign as the first artist for my own label. We had to hang out... a lot and I guess I got to know her and really liked her.' He looked at me for a reaction, but I just looked at the boots still on my feet. 'Nothing ever happened. She was engaged and I knew nothing would happen. She married Zed and he's a great guy. I guess.. I guess it did hurt a little when they got married, but I don't know... something changed when we were on tour together. I just felt like... like she was a little sister that needed protecting. She wasn't my type _at all._ '

'And what's your type exactly?' I asked before I could stop myself. He'd been out with supermodels. I knew that much from the press. Skinny, tanned models who looked incredible in a bikini and had tattoos in sexy places. My tiny heart outline tattoo on the curve between my neck and shoulder was silly in comparison.

'Someone talented with big dreams and aspirations... someone that wants to make a difference to the world. Beautiful and sexy at the same time... Is stubborn... makes me laugh... isn't afraid to try new things... doesn't let the past define her.' He shot me a lopsided smile. 'And then I met you and you had all of those things and so much more.'

'How do you know that you don't love Sky?' I asked, my voice small.

Ed reached out for my hands, intertwining our fingers. 'Because no one has ever made me feel the way I feel about you... I can't help but smile when I see you, I'd do anything to make you happy... when you're not here I think about you non-stop and I miss you like crazy... and according to my brother and friends, you've turned me into a right soppy bastard.' I smiled at that, despite trying to keep a poker face. 'Lucy, I wrote a song about being in love with you and I mean it... _I love you.'_

'You do?'

'I do... and I know it might be too soon, but I'm sure of it. One hundred percent sure.'

I bit my lip and looked up to meet his eyes. 'I love you too.'

He smiled, pulling me closer. He moved a hand so that it was cupping my cheek and he kissed me softly on the lips a few times. 'Now would you like a cup of tea?'

'Mmm yes please.'

The next few weeks went by quickly and the 'likes' on my Facebook page were starting to increase, even more so with the cover of 'Stronger' by Kelly Clarkson I'd posted on Youtube. I'd been in the press a little, but not much, and I had a few interviews and photoshoots lined up for the upcoming weeks, as well as my first single to record.

I arrived at the recording studio early on the first Monday of December, wrapped up in layers to keep me warm.

'You're early! Brilliant!' Eric said with some enthusiasm, the first enthusiasm I'd actually seen from him. Even his emails of my upcoming schedule were pretty boring. 'Fantastic, we can get started straight away.' He said, taking my unfinished caramel latte from my hand. 'You need to go careful with these. Don't want to ruin your figure.'

I tried not to show that the comment had bothered me. 'Shall we get started?'

Eric and the music producers had decided that 'Heart attack' was going to be my first released single with 'Believe in me' as the second track available on the disc and download. I'd been in a recording studio before when Ed was recording some of his album, so I knew what to expect, but this time I was there for _my_ career and the thought made me nervous. I stood in the booth, a microphone in front of me. I wasn't even playing my own instrument for the track; the electric guitarist, basist and female drummer I'd only met a few times previously for rehearsals were behind me, set up and ready to go. I looked through the glass and saw Eric talking to my producers for the single, who, again, I'd only met once or twice.

'Okay we're ready to go.' One of the producers said from behind the glass. 'Let's do this.'

My band started up and I took a deep breath as I adjusted the headphones on my head.

 _'Never put my love out on the line_

 _Never said "Yes" to the right guy_

 _Never had trouble getting what I want_

 _But when it comes to you, I'm never good enough_

 _When I don't care_

 _I can play 'em like a Ken doll_

 _Won't wash my hair_

 _Then make 'em bounce like a basketball_

 _But you make me wanna act like a girl_

 _Paint my nails and wear high heels_

 _Yes, you make me so nervous_

 _That I just can't hold your hand_

 _You make me glow,_

 _But I cover up_

 _Won't let it show,_

 _So I'm..._

 _Puttin' my defenses up_

 _'Cause I don't wanna fall in love_

 _If I ever did that_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack.'_

'Okay that's a wrap!' The producers announced just before 3pm, after five hours of almost non-stop recording. I breathed out a sigh of relief; my throat was starting to hurt and I was starving. Having a music career was going to get rid of the thighs and bum I disliked and give me a 'thigh gap.' I grabbed my bottle of water and finished it, before high-fiving my band and leaving the booth.

'So photoshoot and interview with Elle Magazine tomorrow at 9am and music video shoot Wednesday from 8am.' Eric reminded me, flicking through my schedule on his iPad. 'Then the money will start coming in.'

'Okay.' I said, relieved. I was struggling to keep up the rent on my cute, little Brighton flat as it was. I was starting to regret leaving my job at The Library so soon.

'If you could be early again tomorrow, that would be great.'

I turned up at the Elle offices in Soho ten minutes early and found Eric waiting outside, having a cigarette. So that was why he had been sneaking out throughout my recording session the previous day...

'Keen girl, I like it and other people in the business will like it too.' Eric commented with a nod. 'Ciggie?'

'No thanks, I don't smoke.' I replied, standing beside him and pulling my faux fur jacket tighter. Snow was expected at the weekend and this time I didn't doubt it. For the 8th December it was bloody freezing.

'Come on,' he stubbed out his cigaratte, 'let's head inside.'

'Okay Lucy, we'll start with an interview in here and then we'll head to the studio for a photoshoot.' Mia, the Elle Magazine interviewer told me with a smile, adjusting her asymmetric black bob. She turned on her dictaphone and I realised that Eric was sat on his iPad once again, not paying attention to anything that was happening. 'So Lucy, you've just been signed to Warner Records, one of the biggest labels in the industry. How does that make you feel?'

'It's incredible... there are no words to describe how excited I am that I'm finally following my dream.' I replied, trying not to smile a stupidly-big smile.

'What inspired you to aim for a career in music?' She said with a nod, scribbling something down.

'I've sang since I could talk and played guitar as soon as I was able to persuade my parents to pay for lessons. It was something I used to share with my granddad.' I said with a sad smile, remmebering the times we had sat and listened to music together, although most of the time it had been country music. 'I just hope he's looking down at me with a smile.'

Mia's eyes softened and she returned a small smile, reassuringly. 'What have you got instore for your growing fanbase over the next few months?'

'Well I've just recorded my first single, which is due to be released on the 19th December, just in time for Christmas and they'll be a music video too, which I'm actually shooting tomorrow. Then I guess we will see what happens.'

'And you're dating Ed Sheeran. I'm sure there are a lot of envious girls out there, especially as he's recently performed a song about you, which is rumoured to be on his new album. What's it like dating a global phenomenon?'

'It's pretty crazy.' I replied, honestly. 'You're out and people are asking for autographs and pictures, but he's great so I can't complain.'

'Can we expect a collaboration from the two of you soon?'

'It's not something we've spoken about so who knows.'

The interview lasted about half an hour and it was fairly relaxed. Nothing that was said freaked me out and Mia had a friendly face, thank goodness. After the interview, Mia led me off to hair, make-up and wardrobe so I could get ready for my photoshoot.

'Thanks so much for coming in.' Mia said with a smile, shaking my hand as I was led by a male make-up artist to a black swivel chair.

'It was a pleasure to meet you.' I replied, politely. Mia disappeared, leaving Rhys, Katie and Marie to prepare me for my photoshoot.

'Your hair is lovely.' Katie gushed as she topped up my loose curls.

'Thank you.' I smiled. I was lucky, although it definitely didn't look this nice when I woke up in the mornings.

Rhys started applying my make-up whilst Katie played with my hair. 'So is this your first interview?' He asked as I closed my eyes for the eyeshadow.

'It's my first time appearing in a magazine altogether.' I replied with a shy smile.

'You'll be fine. You've already be in the papers.' Marie called over from the rack of clothes. 'Your style is incredible by the way. Do you have a stylist?'

'No.' I said, trying not to laugh. What a silly question.

'Talented with music and dress sense. I like it.'

My first look was very rock-chick; I'd been given a quiff at the front of my hair and my eyes shimmered under the smokey eyeshadow and eyeliner. I was wearing a black bustier-shaped top, black jeans, stiletto heels, a leather jacket and a statement necklace. I followed the directions stood in front of a white backdrop, posing stood up with a hand behind my head, and then with hands by my side or holding my leather jacket. Eric stood behind the photographer's laptop, nodding at the photos being taken. My second outfit was more girly and it reminded me of a chic librarian. My hair was in a loose bun with ringlets framing my face and my make-up was a lot more subtle than before. I wore a brown, pleated, plaid above-the-knee skirt and a cream long-sleeved blouse with black court shoes and over-the-knee cream socks. It was cute and quirky. These photos were softer and cuter, with me sat on the floor in different positions, and a few of me standing up and laughing and the faces or jokes the Elle staff were cracking. My final look was more glamorous; I had a milkmaid braid in my hair, the same make-up as before and I was wearing a gorgeous white midi dress decorated with the odd black sequin flowers. I wore shoe-boots with the outfit and a statement necklace around my neck. These photos were a little more sexy, with me posing on a chair.

'That's a wrap.' The photographer called to me and I got out of the uncomfortable, shiny, black chair.

I walked over to join Eric, who was looking at the pictures. 'When these have been airbrushed, we'll put some onto your Facebook page.' Airbrushed? I raised my eyebrows, but decided not to comment. Most photoshoots were airbrushed. Dark circles had to be covered, blemishes, spots... Nothing was really natural these days, was it? Eric looked over at me. 'You'd better get changed. A company car is picking us up in ten minutes.'

'Are we going somewhere else?' I asked, confused. I hadn't seen anything on the schedule.

'No, you need some rest before the shoot tomorrow. The car will drop you home and take me back to the office.'

'Oh.. right.' Silly me. I walked back to the dressing room and changed into the cosy outfit I'd worn on the way here.

Marie took the dress I had worn and zipped it into a dress bag, before handing it and the other outfits to me. 'Here.'

'I'm keeping them?'

'Well the clothes, not the shoes. The shoes we sometimes reuse, but the clothes won't get used again.' She explained. 'They're donated to us for advertising in the magazine. If you wear them again it's even better for the designers.'

'How was your day?' Ed asked as I stumbled through the door with the three dress bags which carried my three new outfits. The leather jacket was definitely my favourite. It was real leather, unlike the one I had in the spare bedroom upstairs.

'It was good.' I replied with a smile as Ed took the dress bags off of me. 'It's nice having new outfits until my first cheque comes through. I can't afford to shop at the moment.'

He laughed and pulled me in for a kiss. 'I don't know why you won't let me help you out with your finances. You can pay me back.'

'No, I don't want to take anything from you.' I told him, stubbornly. 'I can handle it, it's fine.'

'How's Eric?'

'Still not very talkative unless he's telling me to cut down on the lattes or not to eat a big breakfast.' I replied and Ed frowned.

'Don't listen to him. I like your figure.' He said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer. 'Especially in these skinny jeans.'

The next morning, I was stood at 9am with curled hair and smokey eyes whilst a black necklace was secured around my neck by a stylist. I looked in the mirror at my pretty cool outfit; a short, black, high-waisted leather skater skirt, a cream lace bustier top tucked in and the leather jacket from the photoshoot the previous day with stupidly-high shoe boots. The video started off with me singing the whole of the song on a fake stage they'd set up with movable microphones. I had to dance with whilst crazy fans blew my hair, my band in the background in their graphic t-shirts and jeans. It had been easy, too easy... so then came the awkwardness.

'So Lucy, this is Tyger.' The director of my video said, introducing me to a guy with shaggy dark hair and brown eyes. Was Tyger just his acting name? Probably. The guy shot me a cocky grin and I knew why; he _was_ good-looking and his skin-tight white vest showed off his six-pack and muscular arms. He knew he was good-looking. 'So your lyrics for the second verse are "never break a sweat for the other guys, when you come around I get paralyzed..."' He trailed off and I zoned out. I knew what the lyrics were. I'd written the song. 'Tyger is going to be your love interest.'

'Okay..' I said with uncertainty. Why could Ed not have been my love interest? Then I wouldn't have had to act. And my acting wasn't great. I'd only gotten a C in GCSE drama at school.

'We'll head to hair and make-up whilst they get the next set ready and I'll explain what I'm after.'

What the director wanted was for me to pretend to be all loved up with 'Tyger', who kept sending me cocky smiles from across the room whilst the director explained what was going to happen. My outfit was dulled down and I was in a lace cream shorts and a grey off-the-shoulder jumper, which worried me; my parents hadn't seen my tattoo and now they were bound to. The 'snippets' the director wanted to capture were us sitting on the sofa, all cosied up together in a fake living room... Then there was the fake duvet den whilst we watched a film, fairylights overhead.. Then us taking selfies on a cute polaroid camera whilst laying on a bed together, fully-clothed thank god.

'You're cute.' Tyger told me as I laid on my front beside him after the director called 'cut' on the final snippet.

I put down the polaroid camera and sat up. 'Er.. thanks... I guess.'

'I'm going to hang around for a bit if you'd like to grab some lunch?' He said, the cocky smile returning.

'I'm okay thanks.'

'Then maybe dinner later?'

He wasn't going to stop. 'I have a boyfriend.'

'I know.' He said with a shrug. 'That's okay, doesn't bother me.'

I looked at him in disbelief. Absolute jerk. I climbed off the bed and headed to a sofa tucked in the corner, where my stylist was sat on the phone to someone. Eric appeared and handed me a halloumi salad. Brilliant. Just what I wanted. 'Thanks.'

'No problem.' He smiled, before walking off to talk to the director.

'Oh my god, your manager is such a jerk.' The stylist, Amanda, said with a frown, flicking her brunette fringe away from her eyes. 'I can't believe he just gave you a salad when you have a great figure.'

'Thanks.' I said, giving her a shy smile and tucking into my salad. I watched as water came from the ceiling like rain and my eyes widened. 'What are they doing?'

'They didn't tell you?' She said, her eyes following mine. 'Er... the last part of the filming involves you singing in the rain.'

'What? Why?!' I said, my eyes wide. I didn't fancy being soaking wet and looking like a drowned rat.

'It's supposed to make the song more powerful and it makes the video more sexy supposedly.' Amanda replied with a laugh. 'Haven't you watched the latest Mariah Carey video?'

I shook my head. 'Not really my taste of music.'

'Well you'd better eat your lunch quick. Outfit change in ten.'

The floaty, thin, black maxi dress I was wearing was gorgeous, despite the slightly plunging neckline. It floated over my figure like a cloud and I almost looked like a gothic grecian goddess with my hair down and smokey make-up.

'I hope you put waterproof stuff on her.' The director said to the make-up girl who nodded and squeaked out a 'yes'. 'Okay, Lucy, we've only got one shot of this. ' He said, ushering me towards the side of the factory which had been left looking how it was when we walked in; metal walls included. The lights were set up and facing the area I was going to stand in and I noticed the sprinklers overhead. 'We just need you to mime your song like you've been doing all day. We'll add in a little wind to add some movement to your hair and dress and then when you get to the bridge we'll set the water off so don't act surprised, okay?'

'Okay.' I replied, swallowing hard. I only had one shot to get this right? No pressure or anything. Amanda gave me a thumbs up and I gave her a small smile before walking into position.

'3, 2, 1 and action!'

The music started up and I did my best, singing along and moving my hands through my hair, adding emotion. It all seemed fine and then the water came, freezing cold, and I had to pretend that I didn't want to squeal, that I didn't have goosebumps, that my nipples were probably going through my dress. I continued singing with passion and then it ended; a shot with Tyger behind me, his arms around my waist in the pouring rain.

'And cut! That's a wrap!' The director called out a phrase I was getting tired of hearing.

I shivered and Tyger smiled at me. 'Still not up for a drink? We could go somewhere with nice coffee?'

'Nn-no.' I chattered as Amanda appeared like an angel, wrapping a white, fluffy towel around me. 'T-thank y-y-ou.'

'Shall I show you to the shower room?' She asked me with a smile. 'Let's get you warmed up.'

Ten minutes later and I emerged from the bathroom in my warm clothes. Amanda sat waiting for me with a coffee and a hairdryer. Life saver. 'Thank you.' I told her as she plugged in the hairdryer and handed it to me.

'Beats getting a cold. It's five degrees outside. I think the snow is coming.'

'I think you're probably right.'

But by Friday, the snow had still not come. I stood in the spare bedroom at Ed's house with Amanda, who Eric had surprisingly hired as my official stylist. I passed her a glass of wine and she tutted. 'I'm working.'

'Come on, I'm nearly ready.' And I was. Ed's album was being released the following day so the label had organised an Album Launch party to celebrate his third album. I had been invited, but not as Ed's plus one this time; I'd been invited as a signee of Warner Records. Eric had asked Amanda to make me look glamorous for the party, so she'd spent the day shopping for the perfect dress and now she was stood in the spare room with me whilst Ed got ready next door. I passed her the glass of wine. 'Come on, I've only got to put the dress on.'

'Fine.' She said with a smile, taking a sip. 'Just don't tell Eric.'

'I wouldn't tell him anything and even if I did he wouldn't listen.' I replied, taking a sip with her.

I'd never been to a launch party before and I hadn't heard much about them. All I knew was that it involved Ed playing a few songs from his new album and then the rest were just played in the background. The press were invited, as were the rest of the label and even twenty lucky fans who had won a competition to recieve tickets. Some launch parties were apparently quite casually, and usually Ed's were. This one, however, was a bit of a fancier party and Ed had been told he needed to dress smart.

'Okay, now it's time for you to get changed.' Amanda told me, turning around so that I kept my dignity.

My dress for the evening was a burgundy velvet vest-style maxi dress with a slit up the left thigh and a cutout section around the waist, which was only covered by thin transparent black mesh. It hugged my figure and made my figure look more of an hour-glass shape. It was gorgeous. Amanda had paired it with simple black stilettos, which she assured me were very comfortable, and I had a simple silver necklace with matching bracelet. My hair hung in loose curls and my make-up was simple, with different shades of brown to make my eyes look bluer. She'd added some lengthening mascara too, which really made them stand out, and she'd added a subtle red lipstick to my lips.

'I think my work here is done.' She smiled, folding her arms and taking a step back. 'You look fabulous!'

'I love the dress. It's worth getting cold on the red carpet for.' I told her with a sincere smile.

'Lucy, our car is here!' I heard Ed call from downstairs.

'I'll go first.' Amanda smiled, collecting up her belongings and passing me my silver clutchbag. 'I'll see you soon.'

'Okay, thanks for this.'

'Hey, it's my job.' She laughed, disappearing out of the room.

I checked my appearance one more time in the mirror and smiled. What the hell was Eric talking about? I was slim, a size 10 to be exact. Yes, my bum and thighs were larger than I wanted, but I wasn't fat. Nicki Minaj and Beyonce had big bums so why couldn't I? I took a deep breath and carefully walked down the stairs, holding my dress carefully so that I didn't trip over it. I reached the bottom and Ed appeared from the living room in his Nike trainers, black formal trousers, a white rolled-up shirt and a black waistcoat with matching tie. Amanda winked at me before disappearing out of the door.

Ed looked at me with a cute smile and sparkling eyes. 'Just when I don't think you can get any more beautiful you go and prove me wrong.'

I blushed and bit my lip. 'Don't be daft.'

He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into him and planting a kiss softly on my lips. 'I'm not... please tell me I'm not now wearing lipstick.'

'You're not.' I laughed. 'Don't worry, Amanda did say it was kissproof.'

'Oh good.' He said, kissing me again as the car horn beeped outside. 'Come on, we'd better get going.'

When we arrived, the bar that Warner Records had rented out was buzzing with photographers, behind the barriers of the red carpet and even fans, holding banners and squealing excitedly. It was pretty chaotic. Ed squeezed my hand and gave me a lopsided smile. 'I wish tonight was just the two of us, especially with you looking like that.'

I returned the smile as the driver got out the car, ready to open the door for Ed. 'You can't really ditch you're own party I'm afraid.'

'Hmm. You're probably right.' He said, kissing my hand softly. The door opened and he nodded at the driver. 'Cheers, man.' He carefully got out of the car and the screams errupted, making me smile. Then he reached his hand for me, helping me get out of the car. I did so carefully, aware of how high the slit in my dress went, and I was thankful when I was stood up beside him, the crowd going wild.

 _Here we go again,_ he said into my mind and I smiled at him as he guided me onto the carpet, his hand in the small of my back.

'Ed! Over here!'

'Ed! Lucy!'

My eyes widened at the sound of my name, something I wasn't yet used to.

'Oh my god, Lucy May!' A girl squealed from behind the barriers.

Ed kissed my cheek softly (cue screams and cheers) and he whispered, 'go on, go over to her. I'll talk to some of the press.'

I walked over to the girl, who looked about ten or eleven. 'Hey, what's your name?' I asked with a smile, despite being surprised that there was someone here for _me._

'Amber.' She replied, looking up at me with soft brown eyes. 'I can't believe it's you.' She said, her eyes wide. 'And I can't believe you're talking to me.'

'She's a huge fan.' The lady behind her, who I assumed to be her mother, told me. 'Can I please get a picture of you with her?'

'Of course.' I smiled, posing for a photo with Amber. She took a few photos and then nodded, satisfied.

'Can you please sign this?' Amber asked, holding up a magazine page of me walking down the street, a photo probably taken by paparazzi.

'Sure.' I smiled, writing a personalised message. _To Amber, you rock! All my love, Lucy May_

'My friends aren't going to believe this!' She squealed as I passed the pen and magazine back to her. 'No way!'

'Lucy?' I turned to my left to see who was calling my name and then I saw the blonde hair; Greg. I'd liked his Facebook page and dropped him a few texts after the day we'd met outside the palace, but we'd not met up again. And I hadn't told him my surname. Shit.

'Hey, Greg.' I said with a shy smile. 'What are you doing here?'

'Trying to get some pictures for the paper I'm interning at.' He replied, nervously. 'I really don't know how I didn't recognise you before. Lucy May, Warner's new big signing, of course.'

I bit my lip. 'I probably should have told you.'

'I probably should have realised. There were people watching you in the park that day, looking at you like they recognised you. It's a shame I didn't.'

'Would you have talked to me if you did?' I waited for a reply but there wasn't some. 'Did you get the pictures you were after?'

'I got some of you talking to that little girl.' He told me. 'I couldn't get my camera to focus properly though. They're going to rip these apart at work.'

'Is it ready now?'

'Yeah, why?'

I stood back and posed for some pictures, making sure that he had time to capture them. Then I called Ed over for a few pictures and he looked at me in surprise as he snaked my arm around my waist. _Missed me already?_

 _Something like that._

'Thank you.' Greg mouthed, giving me a small smile. I returned the smile and turned to Ed, who took it as a signal to lead me inside.

Cheers rose in the room and applause as we entered, and I knew they'd been waiting for Ed's arrival as it meant that the party could really start. A group of girls in Ed Sheeran t-shirts squealed from one side of the room and there was another group of male and female fans on the other. Leon greeted me with a kiss on the cheek and then started to talk to Ed so I quickly slipped away.

'Lucy!'

I grinned, looking up at Adriana and Leanne, who were stood a few metres away from me. Leanne was wearing a bodycon black midi dress and Adriana was rocking a floral jumpsuit. They both looked gorgeous. 'Hello my incredibly good-looking girl friends.' I said as she pulled me into a hug.

'Good-looking? Have you seen yourself? You look _smoking._ ' Leanne grinned as I released myself from their clutches.

'Thank you so much for coming.' I said, glad I'd have some company for the evening.

'Like Lea was going to turn the invite down.' Adriana said, rolling her eyes. 'She's still got that poster on her wall.'

'Seriously?' I said to her, with a frown. 'You've kept a picture of my boyfriend on your wall?'

'I was a fan before he was your boyfriend.' She replied with a shrug.

'It's weird. So weird.' Adriana said, nudging her.

'There's my blossoming superstar!'

I looked over at Eric in surprise as he walked over, his arms wide and a member of the press closely behind him. Adriana and Leanne shot me a confused look, which I returned. _Blossoming superstar_? Was Eric drunk? Quite possibly.

'Hi Eric.' I said with an uncertain smile. 'Adriana, Leanne, this is my manager, Eric. Eric, these are two of my best friends.'

'Pleased to meet you.' He smiled at them, chirpily, and shook their hands. 'Lucy, this lovely gentleman is from Mojo magazine and he'd love to quickly interview you.'

'Sure.' I smiled at the gentleman and followed them off to a booth for my mini interview.

Luckily, I was able to escape Eric's over-friendly clutches and return to my friends in time for Ed appearing on the stage. Leanne squealed with excitement from beside me and I gave her a silencing look as my boyfriend adjusted his microphone and threw his guitar, Angel, over his shoulder.

'Hi everyone, thanks for coming to the launch of my third album.' Ed said with a smile and a few of his fans screamed. Thankfully, Leanne did not. 'I'm going to play you a few songs from the album and then you'll be able to hear the rest of the album. I hope you like it. This track is the first one from my album. It's called _Sofa._ '

'I love this one!' Leanne whispered beside me as Ed started to play.

 _'She's reinventing loving me_

 _When we're resembling cutlery on the sofa_

 _It must have been about 5.01_

 _Like my blue ripped jeans_

 _And my eyes are closed_

 _And I'm way too tired_

 _Hoody still smells of the beach bonfire_

 _On the sofa, where we lay_

 _I wanna stay inside all day_

 _And it's cold outside, again_

 _And we're both so high_

 _We could fly to Berlin, Tokyo or Jamaica_

 _We can go where you want_

 _Say the word and I'll take ya_

 _But I'd rather stay on the sofa_

 _On the sofa, with you.'_

Everyone loved Ed's music and I wasn't surprised; the songs were fantastic and there wasn't a single bad song on the album. The crowd was absolutely loving it and soon it was his seventh and final song he was performing.

'As you know, I've already released _Everything has changed_ , which was the first single to come from this album. Some of you might have heard my final song on Youtube from my concert back in October. This is going to be my second single to be released from the album and it comes out January 3rd. This is _Little things._ '

'Oh god, the whole world will know about my talking in my sleep.' I whispered to the girls, who laughed in response. 'Thanks for the sympathy guys.'

'Hush.' Adriana told me with a wicked smile.

 _'Your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me_

 _But bear this in mind, it was meant to be_

 _And I'm joining up the dots with the freckles on your cheeks_

 _And it all makes sense to me..._

 _I know you've never loved the crinkles by your eyes when you smile_

 _You've never loved your stomach or your thighs, the dimples in your back at the bottom of your spine_

 _But I'll love them endlessly_

 _I won't let these little things_

 _Slip out of my mouth_

 _But if I do_

 _It's you_

 _Oh it's you_

 _They add up to_

 _I'm in love with you_

 _And all these little things.'_

Ed winked at me, causing heads to turn to face me. If they didn't know that the song was about me before, they sure did now.

-xx-xx-xx-

'Ed Sheeran performed an intimate album launch party in Islington last night, inviting artists from his label as well as the press and a lucky group of fans. The evening started with Sheeran performing seven out of twelve songs from his new album, which is available to download and buy in stores today. His wonderful performances included song ' _Little Things',_ set to be his second single released from the album. The song was written about Sheeran's girlfriend, Lucy May, who looked stunning in a red velvet dress last night at her first event as a signed artist. Her first single ' _Heart attack'_ is set to be released on the 20th December. We are rating Sheeran's new album five stars. It has the perfect mixture of romance, rapping and humour so get out and buy it today.' Leanne read the Metro the next morning as Ed made us breakfast in the kitchen.

My friends had stayed over at Ed's apartment, which was just as well as we hadn't got in until around 2am. The three of us sat around the small, wooden table drinking our cups of tea whilst Ed cooked bacon for our bacon sandwiches.

'Five stars! Excellent news!' I called to Ed in the kitchen and he gave me a thumbs up. 'Just not sure about the _stunning_ comment.'

Ed turned to face me and frowned. 'You _are_ stunning _.'_

'Hardly.' I scoffed and my friends raised their eyebrows from either side of me, putting down their cups of tea.

'You are _stunning_ and _beautiful.' and sexy_ , he added in my head.

'Luce, you're not going to win this one.' Adriana told me. 'Better just quit now.'

'Humph.' I replied.

Ed smiled, knowing he had won and turned back to cook the bacon.

'So when are you putting up your Christmas decorations?' I asked Ed when my friends had left after lunch. I'd decorated my tiny flat with a huge tree in the living room and a load of fairylights, as well as a mini tree in my bedroom, before heading up to London that week. It was a family tradition to put up the decorations the first weekend of December, but this was mainly because my mum was completely obsessed; she had a tree in every room and it drove my dad mad. She'd probably have a whole forest of Christmas trees in the living room if she could.

'I wasn't going to.' He replied, casually. 'I'm up in Suffolk with my parents this year, remember?'

'But it's the 12th of December. It's nearly halfway through.' I said with a frown. 'Mine have been up ages. It gets me in the Christmas spirit. Do you have a tree _at all_?'

'Nope.' He said, stroking Graham as he jumped up onto his lap. I stood up and grabbed my bag. 'What are you doing?'

' _We_ are going to get you a tree.'

'It's less than two weeks before Christmas. The shops will be a nightmare.' He said, shaking his head.

'Well then, you should have bought a tree! Come on, up you get, we're going shopping.'

The shops were crazy busy, as expected, but it was still my favourite time of year. Wrapped up in my jeans, a baggy jumper, my faux fur coat, beanie and gloves, I was braced for the cold. Camden was decorated with Christmas lights hanging from trees and people rushed around, carrying Christmas presents as the buskers sang Christmas songs. I loved Christmas. It was definitely my favourite time of year.

'I thought we were going to get a tree?' Ed said, confused, as I pulled him into the market.

'You need decorations too.' I told him as we reached a market stall full of Christmas ornaments. I looked at the golden music note ornaments and the baubles decorated with music. 'These are perfect.'

Ed moved over beside me and picked them up, examining them. 'These are pretty sweet.' The saleswoman's eyebrows raised as she looked at us in recognition, but she didn't say anything. She just smiled as we continued to admire the tiny red hearts, the harps, the little guitars, the handmade wooden reindeers and more. Ed picked up a number of pieces, including a group of angels and handed them to the saleswoman. 'We'll take these please.'

'Of course.' The lady smiled, putting the 20-odd ornaments into a bag. She looked at the colours we'd chosen; white, silver and red, before picking up two pieces of tinsel. 'I'll throw these in for free.' She said with a grin.

'Thank you.' Ed said, returning the smile. He handed over the money and the saleswoman handed over the bag. He turned to me. 'So where are we getting this tree from?'

Half an hour later and we were in the warm again, having just had the real fir tree delivered after choosing one from a nearby tree farm. Ed stood it up in the corner of his living room and wiped his hands on his jeans. Then he disappeared to put the kettle on, as I took off my warm coat. 'Are you starting on the tree?' He called from the kitchen as I bent down to tickle Graham behind his ears.

'I thought we could do it together.' I replied, moving the ornaments bag over to the tree.

'Sure.' He said, walking into the room with our two cups of tea. He placed them down on the able. 'Oh, I forgot to tell you earlier, my parents called.'

'Oh?'

'Matt told them he'd met you and they were pretty upset I hadn't brought you up to meet them.' He said, rolling his eyes. 'We've been invited for dinner on Monday.'

I looked at my paper schedule on the living room table. 'Yeah, that's fine.' I said with a smile. My music video was being released on the Tuesday and I had another magazine interview, except this time with a teenage magazine, on Wednesday. Then there was the radio interview on Friday with my first radio play. It was going to be a busy week; heading off to the states for a few weeks was going to be a welcome break.

The tree didn't take long to decorate, as we hadn't chosen a big one, and I laughed at Graham trying to play with the baubles on the lowest branches. Ed handed me the silver star and I stretched, carefully hanging it on the top of the tree. I stood back and admired our work; it looked really good, even better perhaps than the poor fake Christmas tree I had at home.

'Happy?' Ed asked with a playful smile, grabbing my hands and pulling me towards him.

'Of course.' I replied, giving him a soft kiss on the lips.

'Good.'

We spent the rest of the evening eating take-away Chinese food, lounging on the sofa and watching the second Jurassic Park film. My phone flashed with a notification; _teddysphotos has tagged you in a photo._ I opened Instagram and laughed at the picture of me stretching to put the star on the tree.

 _Getting in the festive spirit with my own angel._

'You're too cute.' I said with a smile, looking over at him and then down at the iPad in his lap. 'How's the album doing?'

'Number one on iTunes.' He replied, with a pleased grin.

'Well done you.' I said, reaching up and kissing him softly on his lips. He moved the iPad and pulled me onto his lap, kissing me harder, his hand in my hair. My hands moved over his t-shirt covered chest as he continued to kiss me. I straddled his lap and his lips moved to kiss my neck, making my breath quicken.

Then the doorbell rang.

'Fuck.' Ed sighed as I climbed off of him. 'Who the hell is ringing my doorbell at this time?' I let out a sigh and then tried to listen to what was going on on Ed's doorstep. 'What are you doing here?'

'It's your album release day. We brought alcohol.'

'I've got Lucy here.'

'Not a problem, I'm sure she'll drink with us.'

Oh Christ, I thought. I wasn't exactly dressed for a party. I pulled off my jumper so that I was just in my off-the-shoulder striped t-shirt and jeans. I checked my make-up and hair in the reflection on my phone, pulling my hair out of its bun. It would have to do.

Jeff walked into the room with a crate of beer and held his hand up to me. 'Lucy. Nice to see you again.'

'You too.' I replied, casually.

Ed appeared with three guys I didn't recognise and I couldn't help but notice one of them was carrying a playstation console.

 _Sorry_ , Ed said in my head, _there's no stopping these guys._

 _It's okay._ I said as Jeff sat down beside me.

Spending an evening with a group of guys was not a new experience for me. Growing up, I'd always had more male friends than girls, so it was the norm. I'd spent many Friday and Saturday nights watching action films or Star Wars, or playing Super Mario Brothers on games consoles. I'd even reached level 47 on Call of Duty. The guys consumed a lot of beer whilst they played games and they were irritated when I beat them several times at Mario Kart. I headed to bed about midnight, deciding I would leave them to it. As I crept up the stairs, I couldn't help but earwig on the conversation.

'You've gone all soft mate.' Dean was saying.

'Yeah man, you're completely whipped.' Jeff said in agreement.

'I can't help it.' He said in response. 'I love her.'

'Is she the one?'

'I think she might be.'

I bit my lip and smiled. The one? I guess I kind of was.

I felt nervous as Ed and I caught the train up to Suffolk on Monday afternoon and it made me more nervous knowing that we were staying up there overnight due to train times. He squeezed my hand. 'Are you nervous?'

'No..' I lied but he saw past it and kissed my forehead.

'My parents are going to love you.'

'I hope so.' I said, looking down at my brown riding boots. I'd wanted to look smart, so I'd chosen the plaid skirt and blouse combo from my photoshoot the week before, except this time I'd paired it with cream tights, brown riding boots and a brown cardigan.

'They will.' He said, squeezing my hand again. 'Your outfit is definitely 'cute girl next door'.'

'Good.' I said, leaning into him. 'Because I tried not to make it sexy secretary.'

'Sexy secretary? Mind if I see that sometime?'

'You should be so lucky.'

The town he was from didn't have a railway station, so we had to catch a cab to where his parents lived. I sat beside Ed, trying to keep my breath calm. The only boyfriend's parents that I had met had been Rich's and they'd loved me. Until I'd 'broken their son's heart' of course. I shuddered at the thought and Ed gave me a reassuring smile. The cab turned past the castle and onto a street with terraced houses painted in different colours. It stopped outside a detached cream house with a blue door and a bay window.

'Ready to go?' Ed said, breaking my thoughts as he paid the taxi driver.

'Yep.' I followed him out of the taxi, grabbing my small, floral overnight bag.

 _Relax._ He gave me a smile and rang the doorbell. The door opened, revealing a petite woman with short strawberry blonde hair. She pulled Ed into a hug and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush. Then she pulled back to look at me.

'I can't believe he's made me wait this long to meet you, Lucy.' She said, pulling me into a hug too. 'I'm Imogen.'

'Imogen, it's freezing, why don't we let the poor kids in?!' Boomed a voice from inside. He was almost a replica of Matt, Ed's brother, so it was clear he was their dad. Ed's mum stepped aside to let us in, closing out the cold behind us. It still hadn't snowed like the forecast had said it would. Ed's dad held his hand out for me. 'I'm John.'

'Pleased to meet you both.' I smiled, nervously, as I shook his hand. I slipped off my boots, leaving them on the wooden shoe rack next to the door and Ed took my coat, hanging it on a vintage-looking coat rack. He gave my waist a squeeze and we followed his parents into the living room, which had wooden beams on the ceiling and a lovely, cosy, fireplace. The logs crackled as I sat down, enjoying the warmth the fire gave me.

Ed's parents were lovely and we spent the afternoon speaking about business; the music industry, mainly, but also their business too- they were into art and Imogen even created her own jewellery, some of which was onsale to fans and I was sure that Leanne probably owned a few pieces. I decided not to mention my weird friend. Imogen had cooked us a roast dinner, claiming that both of us needed some more meat on our bones, and it was ready not too long after our arrival.

'Your tree looks lovely.' Imogen said to Ed with a smile. 'I saw it on Instagram. It's nice to see you have one this year, but I think I know why that is.' She added, giving me a wink.

'I can't believe he didn't have one to begin with.' I told her, shaking my head, as I sat down at the table in the space they'd laid out for me.

'Well thank you for keeping him in check.' She said to me as she handed me a plate of food.

'Thank you.' I said, taking the food from her. Ed sat down next to me with his food and grabbed the gravy straight away, pouring it over his chicken and roast potatoes.

'So what are your plans for Christmas?' John asked as Ed passed me the gravy.

'My cousin lives over in America so my parents and I are flying over to join the rest of the family over there.' I replied, carefully pouring the gravy and trying my best not to spill any of it down my beautiful, cream blouse.

'Do you have any brothers or sisters?'

'No, but my cousin Willow is like my sister in ways I guess.' I said, passing over the gravy.

'That's nice.' Imogen said with a smile. 'Do you ever spend Christmas at home?'

'We alternate so it's our turn to go over there but last year they came to us.' And Willow practically moved in with me for a month, trying to get me over the mess with Rich. 'It's nice though as it's like a mini holiday.'

'Sounds lovely.'

We spent the rest of the evening planning Trivial Pursuit, and I was pleased when I came second place, only just losing to John. I knew a lot of pointless facts, which was quite beneficial when taking part in pub quizzes. I'd gone to a lot of pub quizzes when I was at university and quite often my team had won. Unless we were against The Geeks of course; they consisted of a geeky family- a mum, a dad and two sons well over thirty who still lived with their parents and from their very pasty skin I guessed they spent their whole days revising and not seeing any sunlight. Around eleven we were all getting tired and we decided it was time to head to bed.

'Ed, you're in your old room of course.' Imogen told us as we walked up to the stairs. 'Lucy, I've put you in the spare room.' She said, leading me to a door. 'The bathroom is just down the corridor.'

'Thank you.' I said with a smile.

 _Mum's Roman Catholic._ Ed explained in my head. _No sharing rooms or beds until marriage._

 _Oops, we've kind of messed up there._

 _Well not completely... we've been very well behaved._

'Sleep well and let Ed know if you need anything and I'm sure he will sort it out for you.' She said with a friendly smile before turning to her son. 'Goodnight Teddy. It's nice having you home.'

'It's nice being here.' He said as she kissed him on the cheek.

'Well goodnight.' I said to him, giving him a quick peck on the lips when the hallway was empty.

'Goodnight.'

After brushing my teeth and changing into my tartan pyjama bottoms and black vest, I curled under the blue duvet in the spare room and pulled up the fleecey blanket on the bed. It was a cold night and I didn't have Ed's heat to steal this time. I curled up in a ball and wished I'd brought the tartan button-up flannel shirt which matched my pyjama bottoms. Damn it.

 _Are you awake?_

 _Yes._ I replied, surprised Ed was still awake. Usually he fell asleep straight away. I jumped as my door opened and then I smiled when I saw it was my boyfriend in his batman pyjama bottoms and a black t-shirt. He walked over and climbed into the bed beside me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I turned to face him and buried my face in his chest, glad to feel some warmth.

 _What if your parents are still awake?_

 _Dad is snoring away. I'm pretty sure mum is asleep too._ He placed a finger under my chin and moved my face so that I was looking up at him. 'I love you.' He whispered with his cute, lopsided smile.

'I love you too.' I replied in a whisper and then I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I felt cold again. I looked around the room and realised that Ed was nowhere to be seen. Had we been caught? Or had he snuck out before his parents woke up? I had a quick shower and got dressed into the other 'girl's next door' outfit I had brought with me; a navy tea dress with cream polka dots, cream tights and a cream cardigan. I plaited my hair in a french braid, applied my natural day make-up and made my way onto the landing where I paused.

'She's the first girlfriend you've brought home to meet us in years.' Imogen was saying in the living room.

'Mum... she's my soulfinder.' Came Ed's voice.

'Your soulfinder?' His mum replied. 'Are you sure?'

'Absolutely sure. Remember my concert in Detroit?'

'Yes?'

'Well we met there. Sky was being attacked and Lucy tackled the guy and tried to help. I went outside to help and they were both hurt before the guy got killed by the FBI. She heard my thoughts first and I had no idea but then in the hospital... I went to thank her and I could hear her in my head. How incredible is that?'

'You were in a fight?' His dad said, sounding worried.

'It was some crazy guy in love with Sky.' Ed explained. 'But everything's fine now... in fact, everything's _great._ '

'You seem very happy.' His mum replied.

'I am, mum, I really am.'

I made my way down the stairs and gave Ed's parents a shy smile. 'Good morning.'

'Did you sleep okay?' Imogen asked me as I sat down on the sofa beside Ed.

'Yes thank you.' I replied, hoping she didn't know about my midnight visitor.

'I'll go and put breakfast on.' John said, standing up.

'You're in for a treat,' Ed told me, 'dad makes the best full English breakfasts.'

We headed back to Camden that afternoon and I was thankful that my music video hadn't been released yet; I wanted to watch it straight away. I looked at my Facebook page, noticing the most recent post, which had to have been written by Darren at Warner Records.

 _The 'Heart Attack' video goes live at 6pm GMT! Don't miss out!'_

I checked my watch as I sat down on the sofa: 5.50pm. Ed handed me a cup of tea and sat down beside me. 'I don't understand why they didn't send it to you so you could watch it first.'

'Well I don't understand Eric, so kinda makes sense really.' I replied with a shrug. 'Did I tell you he was calling me his blossoming superstar at your launch party? What a weirdo.'

'That is a little weird.' Ed replied. 'Although, apparently he's really good according to Leon. I don't like the comments he's making about you watching what you eat, though. As my mum's been saying, there's nothing of you.'

'Apart from my bum and thighs and hips.'

'Shh or I'll have to sing _Little Things_ to you again.' He said, kissing my nose. 'And I definitely did that on Friday because it's all over Youtube.'

'I know, I've had hashtag Meeran and hashtag Led on my recent Instagram posts. Oh, and a few hashtag relationship goals too.'

He smiled at that. 'Relationship goals? That's pretty sweet? I'm definitely using those hashtags in my next post.'

'No you won't.' I laughed, refreshing my Facebook page. Nope, nothing. Just another one hundred likes on Darren's post.

'Wanna bet?' He grinned, planting a kiss on my lips. 'Ooh, it's 6pm. How on the ball are Warner? Refresh the page and we will see.'

I refreshed the page and there it was, with a comment supposedly by me. _Here it is! My video for my first single 'Heart attack.' Remember the song is out THIS Sunday._

Ed clicked play before I could and made the video full-screen, pulling the laptop onto his lap and wrapping his arms around my waist.

 _'Never put my love out on the line_

 _Never said "Yes" to the right guy_

 _Never had trouble getting what I want_

 _But when it comes to you, I'm never good enough_

 _When I don't care_

 _I can play 'em like a Ken doll_

 _Won't wash my hair_

 _Then make 'em bounce like a basketball. '_

I watched as I mimed along with my microphone stand, moving it from side to side as my band rocked out in the background, then it jumped to a clip of me talking to Tyger on the bed, one which we hadn't actually realised was shot. He had been asking me out.

 _'But you make me wanna act like a girl_

 _Paint my nails and wear high heels_

 _Yes, you make me so nervous_

 _That I just can't hold your hand.'_

It cut back to me and the band and the fans were on, my hair blowing away from my face as I sang.

 _'You make me glow,_

 _But I cover up_

 _Won't let it show,_

 _So I'm..._

 _Puttin' my defenses up_

 _'Cause I don't wanna fall in love_

 _If I ever did that_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack.'_

The next verse showed the clips of me joking about with Tyger, taking stupid selfies on a polaroid camera and lounging around on the sofa. He was looking at me lovingly. What a good actor.

 _'Never break a sweat for the other guys_

 _When you come around, I get paralyzed_

 _And every time I try to be myself_

 _It comes out wrong like a cry for help_

 _It's just not fair_

 _Pain's more trouble than love is worth_

 _I gasp for air_

 _It feels so good, but you know it hurts_

 _But you make me wanna act like a girl_

 _Paint my nails and wear perfume for you_

 _Make me so nervous_

 _That I just can't hold your hand.'_

It cut back to me rocking out with the band, this time the guitarist, Andy was shaking his hair and rocking out next to me as I sang and I was surprised how well I could mime. It was pretty impressive really.

' _You make me glow,_

 _But I cover up_

 _Won't let it show,_

 _So I'm..._

 _Puttin' my defenses up_

 _'Cause I don't wanna fall in love_

 _If I ever did that_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack.'_

The video cut to me stood in the gorgeous black dress, singing with passion, my hands in the air. I knew the rain was coming and I was praying that I hadn't ruined the whole shot. If I had, they hadn't told me.

 _'The feelings got lost in my lungs_

 _They're burning, I'd rather be numb_

 _And there's no one else to blame (no one else)_

 _So scared I take off and i run_

 _I'm flying too close to the sun_

 _And I burst into flames.'_

I held the note and then came the rain, falling on me and surprisingly I hadn't ruined it. I kept on singing, running my hands through my hair as if I'd actually done it all before. I thought back to Amanda's comment about Mariah Carey and I held back a smile. It was almost sexy, wasn't it?

 _'You make me glow,_

 _But I cover up_

 _Won't let it show,_

 _So I'm..._

 _Puttin' my defenses up_

' _Cause I don't wanna fall in love_

 _If I ever did that_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack_

 _I think I'd have a heart attack.'_

The song ended with Tyger's arms wrapped around me in the rain. I looked over at Ed, trying to read his expression, and he smiled.

'Well there you go, your first music video.' He said, closing the window and putting down the laptop.

'Was it okay?'

'It was a good video.' He said, his face serious. 'It's just a shame about that muscular, good-looking guy.'

'Tyger? Eurgh he was such a jerk.'

'Tyger?' He said with a raised eyebrow.

'I know, I don't think it's his real name.' I replied, adjusting my seated position so that I was more comfortable. 'He was an ass, though.'

'What did he do?' Ed asked with a smile he often used when I swore or insulted people. For some reason he found it amusing.

'He kept asking me out, even though he knew I was with you.' I said, gritting my teeth.

My boyfriend raised his eyebrows. 'To quote you he's an 'ass', although remember you are British and we say 'arse' over here.'

I silenced him with a kiss.

My first single was released that Sunday; 20th December. I'd stayed up until midnight with Ed, watching copies being bought, but I'd fallen asleep soon after, which was just as well as I had to be at Heathrow Airport for 10am.

'I can't believe I've got to wait until January to see you.' I told him, frowning. He kissed my forehead between my eyebrows.

'Well actually... I've been planning a little surprise.' He said with a lopsided smile.

'Another one?' I said, raising my eyebrows.

'I fly out on the 27th.' He said, kissing my nose. 'So I'll see you then.'

'Lucy! Come on, our gate has been called!' My dad called from outside Costa.

Ed gave me a cheeky grin and kissed me softly on the lips. 'See you in a week... oh and,' he pulled out his phone, 'you're currently number 8 in the UK top 40. Congratulations.'

The eight and a half hour flight had Wi-fi on it, so I was able to keep track on my chart progress and video comments. I opened up Twitter and was surprised by the number of 'mentions' I had. Should I answer them? Why not? I started with the top one:

 _Lucymay just loving your new single! It's so catchy and cool!_

 _mysticdreamer thank you so much for your feedback. Glad you like it x_

 _Lucymay my brother Joe loves you. Will you marry him?! xxx_

 _heytheredelilah I'm sorry, I'm taken! But keep smiling Joe, plenty more fish x_

 _Lucymay Please do a concert soon! Really want to see you_

 _supernaturalfan I will try my best to do a concert soon x_

And then everyone was retweeting and freaking out that I'd been replying to people. It made my flight go a lot quicker though, and for that I was grateful.

We arrived in Michigan at 2.30pm their time, which was 7.30pm in the UK. It explained just why I was so hungry too. We had some food at the airport to settle our grumbling stomachs and then we grabbed our big suitcases and headed out into the cold air.

'It's been snowing! How wonderful!' My mum said, grinning from ear to ear as she looked at the icing sugar covering the ground. It hadn't snowed much, it was just a light sprinkling, but it was only 1 degrees celcius so the snow wasn't going to melt anytime soon.

With icy roads, the drive in our hire car took just over an hour and a half and I was thankful to be at my family's house in West Bloomfield. My aunt, uncle and Willow lived in a four bedroom house with cream panelled outside walls and large windows with dark brown shutters each side. They had a covered porch area, where the rocking chair still sat despite the sprinkling of snow on the ground.

'Lucy!' Willow called, running out of the door in her fluffy slippers as my dad passed me my suitcase.

I laughed as I nearly fell backwards. 'Hey, Wills.'

'Hey Auntie and Uncle.' She said, smiling at my parents.

'Hello Willow.' They chorused, closing the boot of the car. 'Shall we get inside before you completely ruin your slippers?' My mum added with a laugh.

The whole of the downstairs was weirdly open-planned. It was rectangular shaped with a bathroom lining on wall and the stairs on another. And then there was a small room directly in the middle of the downstairs, containing a shower room. If you walked past it to the right there was the living room with polished wooden floor and comfy brown suede sofas. Then you could walk through the living room to the cream-countered kitchen and then back round in a circle to the large dining table. Upstairs consisted of another bathroom and the four bedrooms. My parents always stayed in the 'peach room', which had peach painted walls and matching duvets, a walk-in closet tucked in the corner. I always stayed in the study, which had a single daybed with vintage decorated bars three sides of it. The duvet was Cath Kidston-style and there was a quilt my aunt had made covering it. I unpacked my clothes in the small closet and dresser, although I knew I'd spend most of my time in Willow's room with its comfy bed decorated with turquoise duvets and sequins, fairylights on the walls and wrapped around the canopy my uncle had made her.

'Did you miss me?' She asked with a smile, sitting down on my bed for the next few weeks.

'Of course.' I told her, folding up some jumpers.

My phone beeped and she looked at it. 'Luce, you have four missed calls from your boyfriend.'

'I do?' I was surprised my phone had finally decided to get signal, as it had been struggling to connect to a US network.

'And a text.' She tapped on the screen. ' _You're never going to believe this! I'm number one in the album chart and guess who has the number 1 single... You! Power couple relationship goals?_ kiss kiss kiss. That's great news Luce!'

'I'm number one? Wha-what?' I took the phone off her and opened up the UK Top 40 webpage. There I was. At number 1, beating Justin Bieber. I widened my eyes and squealed. 'How? How have I done this?!'

'I guess the world is finally seeing how talented you are!' She beamed.

My eyes widened as I let the news sink in. 'I guess so.'


	7. Holiday Season

The next few days were spent getting over the jet lag and getting the final things ready for Christmas. On the eve of Christmas eve, as my mum liked to call it, Willow decided that we would go for a night out with her friends, which resulted in fancy dress.

'Are you really making me wear this?' I said, holding up the costume. 'No way will our parents let us go out like this.'

'Er yes... everyone's dressing up. Dakota organised the whole thing. Christmas wear was needed, although I think she's wearing a sexy reindeer outfit.'

'Sexy reindeer? Does that even exist?' I raised an eyebrow. 'Can't I just wear my Christmas jumper?'

'Of course not.' She tutted. 'Dakota is a reindeer, Lizzie and I are elves and then you're our Mrs Claus.'

'Right.'

I wasn't the kind of Mrs Claus that you'd have seen on the coca cola advert. It was like another Maria Carey reference. I was wearing an above-the-knee red velvet skater dress with cap sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. The dress had three white pom-poms going down it and was secured with a black belt around the middle. I had a matching santa hat on my head with my curly hair escaping out from underneath. I pulled on some skin-coloured tights and my black riding boots, praying that I wasn't going to freeze outside.

'If I get frostbite then it's your fault.' I told her as I adjusted my hat.

She came out from her walk-in closet and twirled in her elf costume; a strapless green dress with a red and green tutu skirt and a matching hat. She was wearing red and green striped tights and red heels. 'You're hardly going to get frostbite, we'll be inside.' She looked at my outfit and nodded. 'That suits you.'

'It's a bit... short isn't it?'

'No shorter than that leather skirt you were rocking in your music video.' She replied, sticking out her tongue. 'Believe me, there were skimpier costumes than that.'

'I'm hardly surprised.'

She grabbed my phone. 'Come on, pose for a photo and we'll send it to Ed. He'll wish he was already here.' I tried my best to do a sexy pose and my cousin laughed. 'Girl, I can tell you've been to a few photoshoots now. You know how to do the perfect pout and you've got this sexy eye thing going on. You need to teach me the tricks of the trade.'

'Later... when I've had some mulled wine.'

'Er.. we don't have that over here.' Willow said with a laugh. 'Now come on, my dad said if we got ready quick then he'd give us a lift to town.' She threw on a wool trench coat and fastened it up.

'So that's your plan for getting out of the house?' I said with a raised eyebrow.

'Yep. Now go and throw on that long faux fur coat you brought or we're toast.'

I was thankful that the whole of the Red Coat Bar was dressed up when we arrived. It made me feel more comfortable when we took off our jackets and gave them to the man working in the cloakroom.

A red head girl waved at us so we walked over and she hugged Willow and then me. 'Hi Lucy! I'm Lizzie!'

'Nice to meet you and nice outfit.' I replied with a smile, looking at her green dungarees and red and white striped crop top she was wearing underneath. She had over-the-knee socks on, an elf hat and sparkly red pumps like Dorothy's from the Wizard of Oz.

Dakota, who I'd met once before kissed me on the cheek. 'You look gorgeous!'

'And you make reindeers look sexy!' I said with a laugh, looking at her outfit a bit more closely; she had a brown lace-up corset dress with a built-in skater skirt. There was white faux fur around the top of the skirt and she wore faux fur bracelets around her wrists. She had reindeer antlers on her head, and black boots on her feet, but she was missing a red nose.

'To the bar!' She said, pulling me over to the group of Santas at the bar. 'So I heard you're getting pretty famous back home, huh?'

'Yeah, it's pretty crazy.' I said, honestly, as she bought me a drink. 'Thanks.'

'No problem! I've not seen you in ages.' She replied as she paid and pulled me back to the other girls, who were sat on high stools around a high wooden table. I climbed onto the stool, trying my best not to flash the over-sized underwear I'd put on for safety, and took a sip of the 'Mistletoe cocktail' Dakota had bought me. It was seriously scrummy.

'So Willow says you're a musician, Lucy?' Lizzie smiled at me from across the table. 'That's so cool!'

'Liz, she's not _just_ a musician! She's like... famous!' Dakota told her friend.

'You are?' Lizzie grinned. 'That's _so_ cool!'

As if on cue, the Heart Attack intro started blaring through the speakers and I raised both of my eyebrows in surprise at Willow. 'I didn't think it was out over here...'

'It was released on Sunday because I bought it off iTunes.' She admitted, tucking a loose strand of straight hair behind her hair. 'But I guess because you've not done any interviews over here it's not particularly big. I've only seen the video on MTV once.'

'Wait... this is your song?!' Lizzie said, her eyes wide. 'I _love_ this song!'

'So do I!' Dakota smiled, grabbing her friend's hand. 'Come on, let's go and dance!'

The chorus kicked in and I looked at the people dancing to _my_ song and singing along. It was weird... weird but very cool.

'Let's take a selfie.' I said to my cousin with a smile. 'And capture the coolness and weirdness of this photo.'

'Amen to that.' She tapped a topless guy wearing only braces and red velvet santa trousers on the shoulder. 'Could you get a picture of us please?'

'Are you twins?' He said in awe, looking between us.

'Yes.' Willow lied with a flirtacious smile and I had to stifle a laugh.

'Sweet. Pose then ladies.' He said as he was handed my phone. We took a photo stood back to back and then both facing the left, our hands on our hips. 'Awesome!' He said giving us the thumbs up. He handed me back my phone. 'What can I get you to drink?'

'Two Mistletoe cocktails please.' Willow replied, fluttering her eyelashes. And then six-pack Santa disappeared to the bar.

'I can't believe you.' I said, poking my cousin in the ribs. 'You little flirt.'

'He's _hot._ ' She said, giving me an innocent look. I shook my head and laughed, quickly looking at the photos. We looked pretty good and maybe Willow was right; I'd gotten a lot better at posing for more flattering pictures. I chose my favourite shot and uploaded it onto Instagram.

 _Out with my girl willowxwills in America and Heart Attack comes on. Weird but so Cool._

Six-pack Santa returned with our drinks and I gave him a quick thank you, winked at Willow and disappeared to the dancefloor to find the other girls and give my cousin some time to work her charm.

'Where's Willow?' Dakota asked as I appeared beside her, cocktail in hand.

'Working the charm.' I replied, subtly pointing to wear she was twirling her long, brunette hair around her finger.

'Oooh he's cute! Nice work Wills.' Lizzie said, clinking her glass against mine.

'Speaking of hot,' Dakota turned to face me, 'you've got a hottie yourself.'

'I have.' I replied, biting my lip to avoid smiling like an idiot.

'Is it the guy from your video?' Lizzie asked, her eyes wide. 'He's tasty.'

'And he knows it. Trust me, he was a complete dick.' I told her, my face serious.

'Liz, do you not read any of the magazines?!' Dakota said, shaking her head. 'Lucy is going out with Ed Sheeran!'

'No way!' She gasped, causing a few people to look our way. 'I don't believe it!' She shook her head and Dakota rolled her eyes beside me.

'Here.' I said, passing her my phone. The wallpaper was a photo of me with Ed at his album launch party a few weeks back. Our arms were around each other and we were happy. My heart ached and I suddenly realised that I missed him.

'That's such a cute picture.' Dakota said, peering over Lizzie's shoulder.

'You are so lucky!' Lizzie said. 'Is he as nice as he seems? His lyrics are just so... cute.'

'He's incredible.' I told her, smiling. 'Absolutely wonderful.'

'There's thousands of girls in the world so jealous of you. I don't usually like redheads but... yeah I'd like to be Ed Sheeran's girlfriend.'

'But you're a red head...' Dakota said, raising an eyebrow at her friend, who I was starting to realise was quite ditsy.

'Oh yeah!'

A familiar into of a song started up and I smiled. 'What's with the coincidental playlist?'

 _'It's late in the evening_

 _Glass on the side_

 _I've been sat with you_

 _For most of the night_

 _Ignoring everybody here_

 _We wish they would disappear_

 _So maybe we could get down now.'_

'It must be weird.' Dakota commented.

'Just a little! But it's okay, I love this song.'

 _'I don't wanna know_

 _If you're getting ahead of the program_

 _I want you to be mine, lady_

 _To hold your body close_

 _Take another step into the no-man's land_

 _For the longest time lady.'_

Dakota grabbed my hand and twirled me around. Lizzie danced running her hands through her hair and I guy grabbed her waist. She danced against him.

 _'I need you darling_

 _Come on set the tone_

 _If you feel you're falling_

 _Won't you let me know_

 _Oh-Oh-Oh-Ooh-Oh_

 _Oh-Oh-Oh-Ooh-Oh.'_

Dakota raised her eyebrows and then smiled at me as we sang along.

 _'If you love me_

 _Come on, get involved_

 _Feel it rushing through you_

 _From your head to toe_

 _Oh-Oh-Oh-Ooh-Oh_

 _Oh-Oh-Oh-Ooh-Oh._

 _Sing!_

 _Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh_

 _Louder!_

 _Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh_

 _Sing!_

 _Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.'_

Hands grabbed my hips and I raised my eyebrow, turning around. A guy stood there, in a standard Santa costume, just without the beard. 'Hey, wanna dance?'

'I have a boyfriend.' I replied, bluntly.

'Sweet! You're English!' He grinned. 'Let me guess... boyfriend back home?'

'Yes.'

'Then one little dance won't hurt, surely?'

I turned around for some support but I raised my eyebrows at Dakota kissing a guy dressed as a snowman. What? I turned back to the Santa. 'No, I'm good thanks.'

'But it's a good song and all of your friends are now... taken.' He started trying to rap along and I cringed. _'I already know she's a keeper, Just from this one small act of kindness.'_

'It _is_ a good song yes, but you're destroying it.'

'Uh oh, an Ed Sheeran fan!' He said his eyes wide. 'I thought you had better taste than that.'

'I'm not a fan.' I replied, feeling irritated. 'I'm his girlfriend.'

'My fourteen-year-old sister says the same thing.' He chuckled.

'No, really.' I pulled out my phone and showed him my wallpaper.

He looked at it and his eyes widened. 'Is that photoshopped?'

'Of course it's not photoshopped!' I opened up my gallery and flicked through the pictures I had of Ed and I.

'Oh shit, my sister is going to be heartrboken. Friends?' He said with a cocky grin.

'I'm alright thanks.'

'It's snowing!' Willow bounced on me, waking me up and giving me a slight heart attack the next morning.

'I'd hope so with you doing that to me.' I groaned, shoving her off of me and wishing I hadn't decided to share a bed with her the night before, but it had seemed like a good idea after a few too many cocktails. Luckily six-pack Santa's girlfriend had turned up, resulting in a drink being thrown in his face by my wonderful cousin. Then the two of us had sworn off men, spending the rest of the night dancing together. I picked up my phone from the bedside table and looked at the time; 10am. So I'd had seven hours sleep... it would do. I saw that I had a load of Instagram notifications from people favouriting the photo of me with Willow and even commenting on it. Then I realised I had a text from Ed.

 _Why do you always wear sexy things when I'm not around to see them? That Mrs Claus costume is incredible. Just like you. I miss you beautiful, happy Christmas Eve xxx_

'Knew he'd like it.' Willow said, her head over my shoulder and making me jump.

'Alright nosy!' I said, shaking my head at her. 'Right, well I'm up.' I looked out of the window at the snowy landscape. Even the lake opposite the house had been covered with a sheet of ice. The fairylights decorating the houses twinkled, making the snow sparkle as it fell from the sky onto the thick blanket below. 'Come on, let's get some breakfast and then let's get outside! I'm glad I packed my snow boots.'

After breakfast, we showered and dressed and headed straight outside. The cold air hit my face as we walked outside and I pulled the beanie I'd stolen from Ed over my ears to protect them from the -5 degrees celcius temperature. 'It's so pretty.'

'It is.' She smiled. She held up her selfie stick and I laughed. 'Selfie in the snow?'

'Go on then.' We posted for some pictures in the snow on each of our phones and then the fun started. I picked up a snowball and launched it straight into the back of Willow's head.

'Ouch! Bit harsh, Luce!' She laughed, rubbing the back of her head with her gloved hand. Then she was tackled to the ground by a figure dressed in black. 'Argh! Get off!' She yelled as I ran over to tackle the stranger. I shoved him to the ground and Willow gasped. 'Oh, Luce! What are you doing?! That's only Scott!'

'Scott?' I said, confused, getting up off the stranger I'd tackled to the ground.

'Hi.' He said with a groan, trying to sit up.

'Scott lives a few doors down.' Willow explained. 'Scott this is my cousin, Lucy. I'm sorry, she likes to tackle strangers apparently.'

'Sorry.' I apologised, feeling embarrassed.

Scott took his hood down and stood up, running his gloved hand through his light brown hair. 'So you're Wills famous cousin?'

Wills? Only a few people called her that. 'Famous? Well not quite.' I replied, awkwardly. 'I'm sorry I tackled you to the ground. I thought you were-'

'A weirdo? I get that a lot.' He laughed. 'Sorry, I saw you out here and thought I'd join in the fun as everyone else seems to have disappeared for the holidays.' He smiled at Willow with twinkling green eyes.

We spent the rest of the morning playing in the snow with Scott and he joined us for soup and bread for lunch with our family before heading home for the afternoon. I snapped a photo of our snowman and then headed back inside with Willow to get changed into some dry clothes. I threw on some navy Abercrombie sweatpants, a warm, cream jumper and my bootie slippers before knocking on my cousin's door.

'Yep?' She called out, signalling I could go in.

I walked into the room and sat on her bed as she pulled a baggy Hollister hoodie over her tank top. 'So Scott, huh?'

'We're just friends.' She replied, firmly.

'But you knew what I meant.' I teased and her cheeks reddened. 'Spill.'

'There's nothing to spill.' She said, shaking her head.

'How often do you see him?'

'What kind of a question is that?'

'Answer.'

'Almost every day. He's just down the road so it's easy to hang out and watch a movie or grab some food.'

'I see.' I said, pretending to be thoughtful. 'So you're hanging out with a good-looking guy almost every day and you're just friends? Does he have a girlfriend.'

'No.' She said, tying her hair back into a ponytail.

'So why aren't you dating him?'

'You're so annoying. I swear sometimes it's just like having a sister.' She grumbled, launching a pillow. 'Now come on, there's some gingerbread downstairs waiting to be made into a house.'

Our mothers made mulled wine that evening and we sat around the fireplace, drinking it and playing scrabble, before watching The Santa Claus. After our late night, we headed to bed first and I was just getting into bed in my Christmasey pyjamas when Willow knocked on my door. 'I think I like him, but I'm just scared, you know?'

I nodded. I did know. I was still scared to show Ed how much he meant to me incase he turned around and decided he didn't want to be with me anymore. 'I know.' I whispered. 'What some company?'

She nodded and I grabbed the silly stocking with my name on it from my bed post and took it into Willow's room, hanging it on the door next to hers. I climbed into bed beside her and she dimmed the bedside light. 'Do you ever worry that you fall in love with this amazing guy and then he just breaks your heart into a thousand pieces?'

'All the time.' I whispered.

'Do you love Ed?'

I nodded. 'I do and he tells me he loves me too but it doesn't stop me being scared.' I whispered. 'We've still not... you know...'

'You haven't?'

'I'm scared, Wills, just like you. Not just because he might change his mind but because of Rich.' I admitted.

'But he's not Rich, Luce. He's a really good guy, he has to be... he's your soulfinder. She said as she laid down.

I laid down too, looking at her. 'I know, but it still scares me.'

'And that will always be there.' She said with a sigh, squeezing my hand. 'Look at us two. Scared of being in love, despite brought up on Disney films. Guess we need some pixie dust, huh?'

'Let me know when you find some.' I said with a small smile.

'Luce?'

'Yeah?'

'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

I was first to wake up the following day and my heart leapt with excitement; it was Christmas Day! I shook Willow awake and she groaned at me, as I had done at her the day before. 'What is it?' She grumbled.

I climbed out of bed and opened the door, where our two named stockings hung filled with presents. 'He's been!'

'Who's been?'

'Santa!'

'Oh, Lord help me.' She groaned, burying her face in the pillow. 'I forgot that you still do this.'

'It's exciting!'

'I bet you were tracking him in NORAD Santa last night too, weren't you?'

'Of course!' I grinned, throwing the covers off of her.

'It's like living with a five year old.' She mumbled, sitting up. 'Come on then, let's take our stockings downstairs.'

I was surprised to see that our parents were already awake, sat by the fireplace in their pyjamas next to the christmas tree, which was flooded with presents. 'Merry Christmas girls.' They chorused as we approached with our stockings.

'Merry Christmas.' We replied, sitting ourselves on the floor as we did every Christmas.

We didn't wait long before opening our presents and it was funny that lots of the stuff Willow and I recieved from 'Santa' was similar; toiletries, an LED wine glass, a book of cocktail recipes, candles and I had a lot of owl-related gifts include owl handcream, handwarmers, new socks and a cute printed scarf. Then it was time for family presents. I handed my parents a present first, something I hoped they would like. They opened it carefully and smiled at the canvas photo of us altogether when my granddad was alive. It was a favourite photo of mine; we were smiling together in front of Arundel castle. I looked at the picture and my eyes teared up.

'Lucy, it's beautiful.' My mum said, her voice soft.

'Thank you, love.' My dad said, his eyes teary. I pulled them both in for a hug before giving them their next presents; a patterned scarf for my mum because I knew how much she loved them and the Hobbit Trilogy on DVD for my dad. They both thanked me again and I gave my aunt and uncle their presents; toiletries from Temple Spa, which I'd only bought recently as I'd been waiting for my first pay slip to come through. Luckily, it was a pretty hefty sum and I knew the next one would be even better with the royalties from my single.

'These look expensive!' My aunt said to me, raising an eyebrow.

'But they're supposed to be lovely. Real spas use them.' I told her with a smile.

'Thank you, they look nice.' My uncle said with a wink. 'That's what you're trying to say, isn't it Lisa?'

'Thanks love.' My aunt smiled.

I reached under the tree where I'd left Willow's present and I pulled it out carefully. I handed it to her and hoped she would like it. She opened the last package from the giftbag and laughed. 'A signed Ed Sheeran album. Nice one!'

'I'd quite like one of those.' My mum commented from behind me and I shook my head. She was an Ed fangirl and it was _weird,_ just like her obsession with Olly Murs.

She pulled out the next one and I smiled as she carefully opened it, leaving a little pink gift box. She opened it up carefully and gasped at the small silver heart pendant, which had an even smaller gold heart in the middle of it. 'It's gorgeous.' She whispered, pulling out the card. 'Imogen Sheeran? So you've got connections now, huh?' She winked.

'I designed it and Ed's mum made it.' I explained with a smile. 'I was so worried it wouldn't be done in time but she squeezed me in.'

'Oh Luce, it's lovely.' She smiled, her eyes tearing up. She pulled me into a tight hug. 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.' I replied, laughing when I realised both of our mums were nearly in tears.

'I hope you like mine.' Willow said, reaching under the tree and pulling out some plaid wrapping paper.

I opened it carefully, coming across a box. I opened slowly and gasped as I pulled out a tiny polaroid camera. 'Oh my goodness! Wills, this is perfect!'

'It's very you.' My mum agreed with a smile.

'I didn't get you any polaroids with it.' She apologised. 'But I'm sure they're easy enough to pick up.'

'It's wonderful! Thank you!' I said, pulling her into a hug.

'You'd better have these then.' My mum said, handing me a small package. I opened it up and there were the polaroids. Perfect.

'Coolest present ever!' I grinned with a smile.

Soon there were only five presents left under the tree and I looked at them, curiously. My aunt reached under for two matching presents, quickly checking the label before giving Willow and I one each.

'We put some money altogether for these.' My aunt explained with a smile.

Willow and I shot each other curious looks as we carefully tore off the polka-dot wrapping paper, coming across matching silver boxes. Willow counted us in with a, '1, 2, 3.' The boxes were opened in unison and we squealed; we each had a dainty silver bracelet with a heart in the center. The only thing that made them different was the charm; mine had an L and Willow's had a W. They were adorable. We hugged and kissed our parents, both putting them on each other. Matching bracelets. Like real sisters.

'Lucy, there's one left for you.' My uncle said, passing me the small package on wrapping paper decorated with silver reindeers. I took it from him carefully and looked at the envelope on the top with my name scrawled on it. It wasn't from Ed, was it? Willow nosed over my shoulder as I carefully opened the envelope.

 _My beautiful girlfriend,_

 _Merry Christmas! I'm sorry I can't be there with you today, I wish I could see your face when you open this! This is just a small something until I see you and can give you your main present._

 _All my love,_

 _Ed xxx_

'What is it?' Willow said, excitedly, from my side.

'I don't know you numpty.' I said with a laugh, carefully tearing off the paper. It revealed a small, light blue box. It wasn't a ring, was it? I hoped not because if it was I was about to give my dad a heart attack. I carefully opened the box and gasped. Inside were two tiny teal-coloured crystal earrings shaped like hearts. They were lovely.

'Another Imogen Sheeran design.' Willow grinned, pointing to the small logo embroidered on the inside of the box.

'They're beautiful.' I whispered, running my finger carefully over one.

'I am so jealous.' Willow sighed. 'Perfect boyfriend, much?'

'What are the last two presents then?' My uncle asked, nodding at the two remaining presents in the wrapping paper.

'Alice, Jack, they're for you.' My aunt replied, picking them up.

My mum read the tag and smiled. 'Oh how thoughtful, Ed's bought us each a present! Isn't that lovely, Jack?'

'We packed them in our case, Ali.' He laughed from beside her. 'I'm surprised you didn't even realise.'

I looked at the wrapped packages in my parent's hands. It couldn't be biscuits and wine like I'd bought for his family. It was completely the wrong shape.

My dad opened his present and grinned like a child. 'The latest Chelsea football shirt! Fantastic!' Ed had beaten my present for my own father. Damn it.

My mum opened her present and held it up. I groaned. 'An Ed Sheeran t-shirt, really?'

'I like the bear on it.' My mum smiled and I face-palmed my hand. 'Oh, there's something else.' She picked up the tiny velvet bag and opened it carefully, pulling out a beaded bracelet made of different shades of red. Another Imogen Sheeran piece I was sure of it. 'Oh this is lovely and my favourite colour!'

He'd done well, my boyfriend. What a suck up.

'Merry Christmas beautiful!' Ed said as I answered the phone whilst waiting for dinner.

'And Merry Christmas to you too.' I replied, stepping into my bedroom to give us some privacy. 'Are you having a nice day?'

'Yeah though I can hardly move. Had our Christmas lunch and now too full for the lovely leftovers my mum has been baking.' He said and I could imagine him lying on the sofa. 'Thank you for my cat Christmas jumper. It made me smile.' I'd given him a present to open, but I was saving the one I hoped was more exciting for when I actually saw him in person.

'And thank you for the earrings. They're beautiful. Your mum has been busy.'

'She has.' He chuckled. 'But she loves it, it's her passion. Did you parents like their gifts?'

'Too much.' I said with a laugh. 'You're lucky we have a strict Christmas jumper policy on Christmas day or the Chelsea shirt and Ed Sheeran top would be on. Please stop encouraging my mum's fangirling. It freaks me out.'

He laughed down the phone. 'I knew she'd like it.'

'It's weird. Soon Olly will be gone and you'll be the new love of her life.' I said with a sigh. 'I hope what I got your parents was okay.'

'Absolutely. The wine has already gone and dad and Matt are making their way through the biscuits.'

'Lucy! Willow! Dinner's nearly ready!' My mum called from downstairs. I heard Willow's bedroom door open and she knocked on my door.

'Coming!' I replied. 'I have to go.' I told Ed, sadly.

'That's okay.' He said and I knew he was smiling. 'Enjoy the rest of the day... I miss you.'

'I miss you too.'

'I love you.' His voice softened on the other end of the line.

'I love you too.'

'And I love you too.' Willow smirked, appearing in the doorway as I hung up the phone.

'Loser.' I said, rolling my eyes. She stood in her snowflake-patterned red jumper, wearing the necklace I had got her and our matching bracelet on her wrist. I'd put on my navy fairisle Christmas jumper with my denim mini skirt and I was wearing Ed's earrings and the bracelet. I grabbed my polaroid camera and the polaroids. 'Dinner awaits.'

'Oh god.' Willow froze on the stairs, holding the edge of her black pleated skirt.

'What is it?' I said, trying to see around her.

'Scott and his family are downstairs.' She whispered, her eyes wide.

'What are they doing here?'

'Your guess is as good as mine. Do I look okay?'

'You look gorgeous as always.' I said with a reassuring smile. 'Want me to go first? She nodded, so I led the way down the stairs and into the living room. 'Dinner smells nice!'

'It definitely does.' My uncle nodded. 'Lucy, Willow, we invited Scott and his family for dinner. They've not been able to get to their family because of the snow.' He explained.

'Hey, Merry Christmas.' Scott said, giving a small wave and shooting a small smile at Willow. He _definitely_ liked her.

Dinner was lovely and I was definitely feeling too stuffed after I'd eaten. I flicked through the photos I'd taken from the past two days and uploaded them to Facebook with the message 'Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!'. Then I chose a picture of Willow and I sat in front of the tree before dinner to upload to my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages.

 _Merry Christmas to you all from Michigan. I hope you're all full of yummy food and are spending time with your families. All my love, Lucy x_

I glanced up to the sofa where Scott and Willow were sat and smiled as they sat and talked whilst our parents continued talking and drinking in the dining room. They were a cute couple and they both clearly liked each other, so why were they just friends? I snapped a secret photo and sent it to Ed.

 _I'm not going mad am I? This guy definitely likes Willow, right? xxx_

He replied almost straight away. _Absolutely. It's in the way he looks at her xxx_

I smiled. Was there a way he looked at me? I flicked through some of the natural, unposed pictures of the two of us and noticed that he was looking at me a lot of the time, the cute smile I loved plastered on his face. I snuck out of the room to join the parents and give them some privacy.

'Luce?'

'Mmmm?' I said, half-asleep as my bedroom door opened.

'Are you awake?'

'I am now.' I whispered.

'Sorry.' She shone the light on her phone and found my bed, sitting on the edge of it.

'You're up late.'

'Scott and his parents only just left.'

'Really?' I squinted at my phone. It was half eleven and my jet-lag was still around. To me it was half four in the morning. I moved over in my bed and she laid on top of the duvet beside me, pulling up the handmade quilt. 'Sooo...'

'We kissed.'

'What? When?' I replied in surprise, looking at her nervous facial expression in the torchlight.

'We were just sat talking in the dining room and we were playing Scrabble and then it just sort of happened.'

'Scrabble; the world's most romantic game.' I joked and she swotted me with her hand.

'Come on, I'm serious.'

'Sorry.' I apologised. 'That's good though, isn't it?'

'Well... yeah.' She said, nervously. 'But scary too. He wants to take me ice-skating tomorrow.'

'Then go for it.' I replied, squeezing her shoulder.

'But you're here to see me.'

'It's one day.' I told her. 'Honestly go for it or you'll regret it.'

'You're right...' She said, sounding thoughtful. 'And we're going away in a few days.'

'Wait... what?' I shot her a puzzled expression and she raised her eyebrows. 'Wills?'

'Forget I said that.'

'I can't forget you said it. Where are we going?'

'Ah, shit, Ed's going to kill me.'

'Wills?'

'We're going to Nashville.'

Willow had been right. I didn't see Ed on the 27th December, which is what he'd told me. Instead, we caught the 11am flight from Detroit to Nashville on the morning of the 28th.

'He's mad at me. I ruined the surprise.' Willow sighed as we boarded our plane.

'I'd have known when we got to the airport anyway. Did he sound mad when you spoke to him?' I asked with a raised eyebrow.

'He sounded like a disappointed parent.' She said, shaking her head. 'And then he asked about Scott and you know the rest...'

'Wait up!' Scott said, appearing with his bottle of water behind us. Ed had invited Scott in the end, after finding out that he and Willow were 'dating.' She was pretty surprised but I knew she was happy about the idea and it meant I'd get some alone time with my boyfriend.

'I'm sure he's fine, don't worry about it.' I said with a smile.

'Ma'am, you're in first class.' The air hostess told me as we reached the door of the plane.

'We are?' Willow said, sounding surprise.

'Yep. Row A seats 3, 4 and 5 are in the first row of first class right in the middle. Didn't they tell you when you booked the tickets?'

'Ed missed out that detail.' Willow whispered to me as we were ushered to our comfy, recliner, leather chairs. Not that it made much of a difference; the flight was shorter than two hours.

'Now I feel bad.' Scott said, sitting down. 'Dude wouldn't let me pay for my ticket _and_ he bought us first class ones.'

Willow sat between us and smiled. 'I don't think he's going to miss that money, Scott.'

'Oh to live a rockstar lifestyle.' I sighed, stretching out my legs. 'Should I get my own private jet when I'm earning enough?'

'Only if you'll come and see me every weekend.'

Ed met us at the airport and I couldn't help but have a Love Actually Moment; I ran towards him and leapt on him, wrapping my legs around his waist and kissing him as he tried not to fall off backwards. He smiled into the kiss and put me down, carefully. 'Did you miss me?'

'Too much.' I replied and he kissed me on the lips again.

'I missed you too.' He said, grabbing my suitcase. He shook Scott's hand and then gave Willow a small hug. 'Nice to see you guys.'

'You should have told us it was first class.' Willow said, folding her arms. I'd have worn something that wasn't from Gap.'

The air in Nashville was warmer than Michigan at around 6 degrees celsius and there was no melting snow on the ground like there had been at Willow's house. A car waited outside for us with its own personal driver and I remembered that Ed didn't drive; in the UK there was no need as he got around easily by cab or the underground. The driver put our suitcases in the trunk of his car and we sat inside, Ed in the front, and caught up about what we'd been up to over Christmas. We all became silent when we turned up a driveway and reached a huge house. My jaw dropped. We couldn't be any further away than Ed's two bed-apartment in Camden.

The driver opened the doors and we climbed out, my cousin and I looking at the building in disbelief.

'This is pretty sweet.' Scott said with a smile.

Only pretty sweet? The house looked about three stories high with large windows and three garages; why did Ed need three when he didn't even drive one? The tour of the inside left me in even more shock than I already was and there was nothing I could say. The front door led to a small landing area with polished, wooden stairs leading to the next floor. There was a large dining room decorated with a mosaic floor and a table which sat six people on comfy, suede chairs. There were built-in shelves decorated with awards, I noticed, that Ed had won. There was a small reception room with a turquoise chaise-longe and a guitar popped up in the corner, a small television built into the wall. Then there was the main living room with comfy cream and orange sofas, a modern-looking fireplace and a widescreen television above it. Part of the polished wooden floor was covered by a fluffy cream rug and the walls were decorated with vinyl records from The Beatles and other cool artists. The silver kitchen was large with a breakfast bar in the middle, using up some of the space and then there was a tucked away study with a desk and a book nook between shelves. Even the two downstairs bathrooms were eccentric.

Upstairs there were four bedrooms, all larger than those at my cousin's house. The three guest bedrooms looked the same; spacious with a double bed decorated with white sheets and cushions, a cream rug, artwork on the wall and then a walk-in closet. Two of the rooms even had their own ensuite. It was like being in a swanky hotel. Then there was Ed's room. It had polished wooden floors and very light grey walls with around five windows looking outside. There was a king-size bed decorated with a navy pinstripe duvet and a large, suede headboard. Yellow cushions were sprinkled aross the bed and there was a comfy-looking suede ottoman at the end of it. A bedside table was each side of the bed, both holding a lamp and there was a dresser pushed against the wall next to a full-length mirror. Then there was the stupidly big walk-in closet, which only had half of it filled with Ed's stuff.

'So this is mental.' I finally said as Ed placed my suitcase in the closet.

'Don't you like it?' He said, trying to read my expression.

'It's incredible.' I said, truthfully. 'It's just so... cool and so different from your Ikea-kitted apartment back in London.'

'Before I met you, I spent most of my time here.' He explained. 'Taylor only lives a few houses away.'

'Does it get lonely?' I asked. The house was incredible, yes, but it was just so... big. I would be lonely and probably a little creeped out being in it by myself.

'It does.' He said, his eyes sad.

I squeezed his hand. 'Shall I unpack?'

'Sounds good.' He smiled, kissing me on the forehead. 'I'll go and make some lunch.'

If my closet was this size, would I be able to fill it? That's what I wondered as I unpacked my suitcase that was far too big for just a few days, but it was the only one I had. Willow and I hadn't know what to pack so I'd packed the staples, like leggings, jeans and jumpers, but I'd also packed some outfits for going out, including sparkly tops, a few tea dresses and the dress I'd worn for Abby's hen party. I hung up most of my clothes, folding my vest tops and jumpers and neatly putting my underwear in a drawer. I looked at the shoe rack, my eyes wide. It was huge. I felt like Carrie in Sex and the City. I only had three pairs of shoes with me. I placed my black riding boots, black shoe boots and the stilettos I'd worn to the album launch which was high but very comfy. Ed had five pairs of shoes on the rack; four different pairs of Air sneakers and then some smart shoes, which must come out out a rare occassion. I hadn't seen these shoes before and he had a load back in Camden too. Did he have _more_ shoes than me? Maybe my boyfriend was more like Carrie than me.

We all had omlettes for lunch and it was crazy just being able to sit at a breakfast bar in the kitchen.

'What are the plans for this afternoon?' I asked Ed when I'd finished. I filled my glass with some more water.

'Scott and I wanted to check out The Hermitage. It's the home of President Andrew Jackson.' Willow said with a smile. 'A bit of US history and all that.'

 _That's what they want to do in Music City? Really?_ Ed shot me a playful smile and I raised an eyebrow at him. _Stop reading my thoughts._

'Well why don't I get the car to take you there and then Lucy and I will head into town?' Ed suggested.

'Okay, sounds good.' Scott said with a smile. 'Shall we go?' He took Willow's hand and she smiled. It was nice to see my cousin happy.

The walk to town took around thirty minutes, but it was nice looking at the houses and how different they were to the ones back home. All of the ones on Ed's street were big, but I knew that you got a lot more for your money than you did back in England. He held my hand and we spoke about our Christmases and shared funny stories with each other. Soon we were in town and I froze. My late granddad had _loved_ Nashville. I'd seen plenty of photos of it, and the spot we were stood at I recognised. Stood with the river behind us, I could see the Hard Rock Cafe and the red brick buildings. I could see the Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry. Then there was the Johnny Cash museum.

'There's a photo my my granddad here.' I whispered to Ed. 'Road seems a lot busier now though.'

'Then we'd better get a photo of you here too.' He said with a heartwarming smile. I passed him my phone and stood on the spot my granddad had stood on around fifteen years beforehand. The phone clicked and I looked back at the photo. Could that much change in fifteen years? Apparently so. 'Shall we go to the Johnny Cash museum?'

I smiled at him. 'I think my granddad would like that.'

I'd listened to Johnny Cash a few times with my granddad and I'd seen Walk The Line, but I'd only become really interested since my granddad had passed away, which was sad really. As we walked around, watching video clips and looking at his items, I had goosebumps. He'd had an interesting life, he really had, and he'd been a very talented man. I bought a vintage-looking t-shirt in the store and vowed I would listen to him more often.

'Thank you.' I said to Ed when we got back to his house. I reached up and kissed him softly on the lips and he smiled.

'Am I doing well?'

'Very.'

He pulled me in for another kiss, this time kissing me more passionately than he had done before. I ran my hands through his hair as I kissed him.

'Ahem.'

Both of our cheeks turned pink and we looked over at the source of the noise; Willow. 'Hey, Wills, did you have a good afternoon?'

'We did thank you.' She replied. 'Although I'm now going to be sick.' I rolled my eyes at her and she looked over at Ed. 'So what are the plans for this evening?'

'We're going out.' He said with a crooked smile and I knew he was up to something.

'Dresscode?'

'Casual is fine.'

But casual wasn't fine. Willow apeared in my room ten minutes later in a mustard-coloured knee-length skirt, brown boots and a navy plaid shirt with a belt around it. She looked like she belonged in Nashville. 'Mind if I do my make-up in here?' She said, grabbing the ottoman and pulling it over to the full-length mirror.

'Uhm, go ahead?' I said, as I got changed into a cream long-sleeve lace dress, which fell just above the knee, and added a belt around the middle. I pulled on some tights and took my hair out of its bun before slipping on my shoe boots. 'What do you think?'

'Very cute.' She said, giving me a thumbs up of approval. I crouched over her and sorted out my make-up until I was happy with it. 'All good to go?'

'Yes I am.'

'I'll go check on Scott.' She disappeared out of the room and I pushed the ottoman back to where it belonged.

'You look beautiful.' Ed said appearing topless, his hair damp from the shower. He kissed my forehead as he passed and disappeared into the closet. 'Would you like your other present now?' He said as he exited the wardrobe, pulling on a plain black-tshirt and a shirt over the top.

'I don't mind.' I replied, trying to contain my excitement. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a small package in the same wrapping as the previous one. He handed it to me and I carefully opened the paper, leaving a light blue box a little bigger than the last. I carefully opened the box and gasped. Inside was a necklace. It had a teal-coloured heart in the middle, matching the earrings, which was attached to a silver heart outline. Either side of the heart was a small silver wing outline, which held the pendant to the chain. 'It's beautiful.' I whispered, looking up at him with a smile. 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.' He smiled, kissing me softly on the lips.

'Can you help me put it on?' I asked as I took it out of the box. He took the necklace carefully from me and moved my hair to one side as he fixed it on and planted a gentle kiss on the back of my neck. 'Would you like yours?' I whispered.

'Sure.'

He seemed grateful for his present; a black watch with orange numbers. It was a Richard Mille watch that cost more than any watch I'd ever bought before, but it was nice and it was smart. Ed thanked me with a few kisses and then we had to head out to dinner. We had dinner at a burger place and I knew why Ed had said casual. People were wearing jeans and baggy jumpers, and they were shooting us odd glances as we ate carefully, trying not to spill anything. The burgers were nice, sure, but I expected something a bit different in Nashville.

'Are you nearly done mate?' Ed asked Scott, checking the time on his new watch.

'Yep.' Scott said, finishing the last of his coca cola. 'Are we in a rush?'

'Sort of.'

'Where are we going?' Willow asked Ed, suspiciously. I gave her a confused look.

'You'll see.'

I couldn't believe where the cab dropped us off. I looked at the building in front of me with its blue awning, decorated with white writing which read, _The Bluebird Cafe._ I had to be the _real_ Bluebird Cafe, didn't it? The one famous for live performances from new and already famous singer/songwriters? My granddad had spoken about it before, having gone to a lot of performances here and then they started using it on the programme Nashville, which I watched religiously.

'Are we going in or just standing here?' Ed said with a laugh, looking between Willow and I.

'Is this the real one? From the programme?' Willow said, hardly blinking.

'Yes it's the real Bluebird Cafe.' He chuckled. My cousin wasn't good with history of music. She probably wasn't even aware that it was famous before the programme had come along.

'This is so sweet.' Scott said, nodding his head with approval.

'Are you okay?' Ed asked, squeezing my hand.

'Yes!' I squealed. 'This is so cool!' He smiled and we walked up to the door, where there was a long queue. Ed pulled out four tickets and, thankfully, we were able to walk straight in.

The small venue was already buzzing and one act was already onstage when we walked in. Ed grabbed us a table and four chairs and we sat down facing the small stage decorated with fairylights and a neon bird sign above it.

'Hey Ed, so nice to see y'all again.' A waitress said, appearing at our table.

'Hey Clara.' Ed said with a smile.

'I see you've brought some new friends.'

'This is my girlfriend Lucy, her cousin Willow and their friend Scott.' Ed said introducing us.

'Of course, you're the gorgeous Lucy May!' Clara gushed, making my cheeks turn pink. 'I love your song _Heart Attack_.' She said with a smile. 'And all those covers on your Youtube page are cool too.'

'Thank you.' I replied with a smile.

'Well what can I get y'all?'

'Four bud lights.' Willow answered for all of us.

'I'll bring them right over.'

I looked over with a raised eyebrow. 'Come on, everyone loveds a bud light.'

The evening was chilled and I enjoyed listening to some upcoming country music stars, some with funny songs and some with songs about love and heartbreak. Ed disappeared for a while, coming back with more drinks and a smug smile on his face.

'He's up to something.' I whispered to Willow as she sipped her beer.

'He's always up to something.' She replied. 'You can't ever complain he's too predictable.'

'You're right there.'

I munched on one of the nacho chips in the middle of the table as I applauded the second act of the evening. The host, in his cowboy hat, walked to the front and applauded. 'That was Deena James everybody! Now, I'm afraid our third act didn't turn up this evening, but I've heard we've got a special fill in, so we'll be taking a ten minute break whilst she gets set up.'

'How can you not turn up for your performance at The Bluebird?' I said, shaking my head. 'So many people who have performed here have made it.'

'Lucy May?' I looked up in surprise to see the host standing in front of me. 'Are y'all ready to for your set?'

'My set?' I looked over at Ed and saw a familiar cheeky grin. 'Oh no you didn't.'

'You love it here.' He told me. 'You said your granddad used to come here all the time when he was in Nashville.'

'He did.' I replied, biting my lip. 'But not to perform.'

'Come on Luce, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.' Willow gave me a reassuring smile and Scott nodded in agreement with her.

I looked at the host with his friendly smile and then back at my companions. They were right. And my granddad would have loved me to perform here. 'Let's do this.'

The crowd cheered as I took my spot after checking the guitar I was borrowing was in-tune for me. I'd chosen a first song, a country music one to cover. I just hoped I could choose four other songs to fill the set. 'Hey, I'm Lucy May.' I said into the microphone, nervously. 'My granddad used to come here a lot when he visited Nashville and he always said how great the acts were that performed. I've heard some great artists tonight and I hope that I live up to your expectations. I'm going to start with a cover, I hope you like it.'

 _'I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,_

 _You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,_

 _May you never take one single breath for granted,_

 _GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,_

 _I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,_

 _Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,_

 _Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,_

 _And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance._

 _I hope you dance...I hope you dance.'_

My eyes were teary and I bit back the tears as I finished the song I hadn't sang since my granddad's funeral. The crowd cheered and applauded and I shot them a smile. 'Thank you.' I adjusted the microphone stand nervously as I thought of my next song. 'I don't tend to play country music as much as I used to so I'm going back a couple years with these few. I hope you don't mind. I wrote this one when I was eighteen. It's called 'So Small.'' I went into autopilot as I played the intro and I was surprised with how the lyrics flooded straight to me.

 _'What you got if you ain't got love_

 _the kind that you just want to give away_

 _It's okay to open up_

 _go ahead and let the light shine through_

 _I know it's hard on a rainy day_

 _you want to shut the world out and just be left alone_

 _But don't run out on your faith_

 _Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand_

 _What you've been up there searching for_

 _forever is in your hands_

 _When you figure out love is all that matters after all_

 _It sure makes everything else_

 _seem so small.'_

The crowd applauded and I smiled, glad they were enjoying the songs I hadn't sung in two or so years.

 _'It's so easy to get lost inside_

 _a problem that seems so big at the time_

 _it's like a river thats so wide_

 _it swallows you whole_

 _While you sit around thinking about what you can't change_

 _and worrying about all the wrong things_

 _time's flying by_

 _moving so fast_

 _you better make it count 'cause you can't get it back_

 _Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand_

 _What you've been up there searching for_

 _forever is in your hands_

 _When you figure out love is all that matters after all_

 _It sure makes everything else_

 _Seem so small_

 _Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand_

 _What you've been up there searching for_

 _forever is in your hands_

 _When you figure out love is all that matters after all_

 _It sure makes everything else_

 _Oh it sure makes everything else_

 _Seem so small.'_

The set went quick and I forgot how much I enjoyed singing country music songs and just playing the guitar. I'd stopped doing it because I realised that country music wasn't doing as well in the UK as it used to. Even Taylor Swift had dropped her country roots and moved ontop pop. I ended the set with my acoustic version of 'Heart attack' and I was surprised that some people were singing along. It was great. After the final cheers and applause, I put down the guitar and got off the stage.

'Here's your money for this evening.' The host said, handing me a small envelope.

'My money?'

'We charge people on the door to pay the artists.' He explained. 'This is your share.'

'Thank you.' I said, feeling surprised. I opened the envelope and looked at the $450 tucked inside. It was't much, but I didn't mind. Just playing there was enough.

'So what are tomorrow's plans?' I asked Ed as we got into bed that night.

'Well I've got to film the video for _Little Things_.' He said, kissing my forehead.

I groaned and buried my face in the pillow. 'Can't you just release a different song? One that isn't about my freckles or dimples or sleep talking?'

'But I like it. Because it's about you.' He whispered in my ear, giving me goosebumps.

'Fine.' I turned to face him. 'So does that mean you're busy all day?'

'I'd like it to be that _we're_ busy all day.' He said, planting a kiss on my nose. 'I only agreed to what Leon and the director have planned on one condition.'

'Oh?'

'That you'd be in the video with me.'

'I'm hoping as your love interest?' I said with a playful smile as he pulled me towards him. 'Because otherwise I'm terrible at acting.'

'Me too so it's a good job we won't have to act.'

Being in a music video meant an early start and by 7.30am we were at our first location; Opryland Hotel Gardens. The gardens were in an enclosed biodome and they were beautiful. There were flowers, tropical trees, a river and even waterfalls. There was a small cafe in the gardens, closed for the festive period but opened for the music video. Inside were filming equipment, racks of clothes and mirrors.

'Lucy! Lovely to see you again!' Ed's stylist, Nina, pulled me into a tight hug. We'd met once before, when she had helped me shop and get ready for a Warner Records party before I had been signed.

'Lovely to see you too Nina.' Ed said sarcastically and she shook her head at him.

'I see you all the time.'

A rather camp guy appeared at Nina's side and gave her a nudge. 'Leon wants to start shooting in fifteen minutes. We'd better start working.' He looked at me with a smile. 'I'm Marty, Ed's hair stylist.'

I looked at Ed's scruffy hair and then back at Marty. 'Pleased to meet you.'

Nina grabbed my hand. 'Marty, you show Ed his first outfit and sort out his hair. I'll get Lucy's make-up done.'

My make-up was quite neutral, with different shades of brown and natural-looking lipstick. My hair was left down and natural. All of the clothes chosen were quite neutral and girly, a look that I rarely wore nowadays. My first outfit was a cream lace knee-length skater skirt with a tucked-in denim shirt with some heeled-ankle cowboy boots. Marty finished playing with my hair and gave me a smile. 'Shall we see where they've got to?'

Filming had already started and we found Ed singing to a crowd of excited members of the public. He was halfway through the first chorus when we got there and I smiled at my boyfriend stood on a small platform, playing guitar and singing with a waterfall behind him. He was wearing a plain t-shirt, jeans and sneakers I recognised from his closet. I noticed some of the crowd wearing Ed Sheeran t-shirts, singing along as the cameras moved around, trying to get the best angles. I stood waiting out of shot with Nina and Marty until the song finished and the crowd applauded. Then security guards stepped in and ushered the crowd away, marking off the area with a barrier.

'Oh good, you're ready.' The director said, nodding at me. Ed's guitar was taken from him and Nina passed him a navy shirt, which he buttoned up over his t-shirt, before he came to join me. 'Now all I want for the next shot is for you two to just walk away from the camera holding hands. We'll do it a few times to get the right angle. Just look relaxed and happy and maybe be talking.'

Ed gave him a salute and I bit back a laugh.'Yes, boss.'

The director led us over to where he wanted us to stand and we did as we were told. '3, 2, 1, action!'

We walked along, hand in hand, as instructed and Ed tried to make silly jokes to make me laugh. It worked. Most of the shots that morning were quite short and involved us walking around and talking or sitting down by the river.

'Okay, I'd like to try one more shot before lunch.' The director announced, putting down his coffee. My stomach growled with disagreement. 'Ed, Lucy, you're going to be on the bridge and I want arms around each other, about to kiss but not actually kissing, okay?' He pointed at where he wanted the camera man to stand and we took our place on the bridge. As 'action' was called, Ed slipped his arms around my waist and rested his head on my forehead, making me smile. It was pretty hard not to kiss him though.

The hotel sent lunch to the closed cafe for us and we all tucked into the sandwiches, rolls and fruits sent our way. After half an hour, lunch was over and it was back to the seriousness of filming. Marty put my hair into a loose bun and Nina fixed my make-up whilst the crew headed to the next location with Ed. I changed into an off-the-shoulder cream jumper and denim shorts and then we headed off into the hotel for our next location. They'd hired a suite for an hour, so we didn't have long to get the shots the director wanted. The hour was spend filming snippets of Ed and I cosying up on the sofa, drinking cups of tea and more-almost kissing. By that point I just wanted to kiss him and it was getting annoying. By two o'clock, it was time to stop.

'Okay, the final bit of filming can't happen until tonight so be back here for seven.' Leon told us. He looked at Ed. 'Don't be late.'

Instead of going back to Ed's mansion-house, we headed to the Country Music Hall of Fame, where Willow and Scott were. We met them outside the giant building and my cousin greeted me with a hug.

'How's your day going?' She asked with a smile as we headed inside.

'It's going good. It's a lot more relaxed than making my music video.' I explained as we bought our tickets.

The museum was huge and had belongings of country stars, both old and new scattered around behind display cases. Country music played and I hummed along as I read the information. Ed was chatting to Scott and it was nice they were getting along so well.

'Hey, look!' Willow said, walking over to a cabinet containing clothes from Taylor Swift's Red Tour. 'She didn't wear these when we saw her in London.'

'I think these were just her looks for the American Tour.'

'Yep they were.' Ed said appearing behind me and squeezing my waist.

'Of course, you went on tour with her.' Willow said. 'That's when the rumours started that the two of you were dating.'

I raised an eyebrow and he shook his head. 'Taylor's like a sister to me. That would be totally wrong.' He kissed my forehead. 'I didn't know you'd been to any of Taylor's concerts.'

'Lucy has been to every London show.' Willow grinned and I shot her a death glare. 'What? It's true.'

'Fan, huh?' He teased as my cheeks turned red.

'She influenced my music a little and she's pretty inspirational. Her songs got me through a lot of hard times.' I said, biting my lip. 'And they're pretty damn catchy too.'

'They are.' He agreed with a cheeky smile.

'Please don't tell her this. It's cringey.'

'You can tell her yourself. We've all been invited to her party on New Year's Eve.'

'A Taylor Swift party?!' Willow said, her eyes wide. A few people looked our way and I smiled, awkwardly, at them. 'They always look so epic. Her Fourth of July ones in particular.'

'Yeah, they're pretty epic.' Ed agreed with a smile.

'This is a whole new world to me.' Scott said, shaking his head.

'Yeah, me too.' I admitted to him. Willow had spent her time in America going to parties as a childhood friend of Selena Gomez. She was used to it. I'd tagged along to one in Miami, but other than that, it was a world I didn't know about. But it was pretty damn cool.

After grabbing an early dinner, we made our way back to Opryland Hotel with Scott and Willow, who had decided to join us for moral support. Leon was chatting to the director when we arrived and they both gave us a small wave before ending there conversation.

Leon came over to us when he was finished. 'Have a good break?'

'Yeah.' Ed said with a smile. 'What's the plan for the rest of this shoot then?'

'They're setting up out in the gardens now. It's going to be a scene with some dancing... but not choreographed, just basic slow dancing before you panic.' He explained, running a hand through his hair. 'We had to wait until now because the lighting had to be right and we've got in some extras too.' He looked over my shoulder, spotting my cousin and her boyfriend. 'Did you bring some more extras?'

'Oh, that's just my cousin and her boyfriend. They're staying at Ed's with us.' I explained with a small smile.

He beckoned them over. 'You two fancy being in a music video?'

My cousin's eyebrows shot up. 'Us? Really?'

'Sure.' He said with a shrug. 'We've got enough outfits. Just see Nina and see what she can find in your size.' He turned back to Ed and I. 'You kids better find Nina and Marty. We start in forty-five minutes.'

Nina and Marty were back in the cafe, but this time they had assistants with them, handing out different-coloured dresses and suits to the extras and there were a few hairstylists and make-up artists giving them make-overs.

'Great! You're here!' Nina said, grabbing my hand. 'I've got to make you the belle of the ball, not that you aren't already.'

'Nina, this is Lucy's cousin Willow and this is Scott. Leon's said they can join the extras.' Ed said, introducing my cousin.

'Jaycee!' Nina called and a curvy lady with dark skin and dark hair came over, a big smile on her face.

'Everything okay, Nina?'

'Marty and I need to sort out Lucy. Can you sort out Willow here with an outfit and get her hair and make-up sorted?'

'Of course.' Jaycee said with a smile, grabbing my cousin and whisking her away.

Nina and Marty took me out the back, where a few dresses hung for me in what must have been the staff room. They sat me in a stool and straight away, Nina started to carefully remove the make-up she'd put on me earlier that day, whilst Marty brushed my hair. I felt Marty pin a section on top of my head as Nina grabbed the foundation and started covering my face. I sat as still as I could as my hair was curled and clipped, and make-up was brushed onto my face.

I tried to peer in a mirror, but Nina stopped me. 'Wait until you're completely ready.' She passed me a beautiful cream lace dress and some nude court shoes, before slipping out of the door to find Ed with Marty. I carefully slipped on the dress, glad that it was zippable so that I didn't ruin my hair and make-up. Then I walked over to the mirror. Silvery eyeshadow covered my eyelids, getting darker in the corners and lighter in the middle, giving the effect that my eyes were bigger. Winged eyeliner was also along my lids and there was a little eyeliner on my lower lashline too with some lengthening mascara. I had a pinky lipstick on, which worked well with the blusher. I was an English Rose. My hair had been pinned back into a loose, curled bun with strands hanging down and framing my face. And then there was the dress...

A lace cream skater dress with petticoats underneath to add volume and a v-back, revealing my bare back. There was a bow at the bottom of the v, just before the dress flared out. It was beautiful.

'Well look at you!' Willow said, appearing behind me. She was wearing a one-shoulder, dusky pink prom dress, which fell just above the knee, and silver stilettos. Her hair was worn in a classy french plait over the shoulder that wasn't covered by the dress.

'Me? Look at you! You're looking gorgeous!'

'Not as gorgeous as you.' Willow said, standing beside me. 'It's like we're off to the ball. Just not a real one, sadly.' She pulled the phone out of my bag and snapped some selfies of us together. 'Hey, spin in a circle.' She instructed. I did as I was told and she snapped away. 'Awesome!'

'See, I've been telling you, fifties dresses are the way forward. Flattering, lots of volume and perfect for twirling.'

'You both look fabulous!' Nina said, appearing in the doorway with Marty and clapping her hands together. 'Willow, all the extras are heading over now to get the scene organised.' My cousin hugged me and disappeared with Marty.

'I hope I don't fall over.' I said to her as she dusted a little glitter over my skin.

'I hope so too!'

'At least they can cut and start again.'

'That's true.' Nina said with a smile, standing back to check she was happy with my outfit. 'But they don't want Ed to see you until they've started filming. So that bit, you'll have to walk slowly and carefully... just in case.'

Nina and I walked over the bridge together and she stopped me when we reached a tree, telling me I couldn't go any further. I peered through the gap in the tree and smiled at the site. Strings of fairylights fell from the ceiling like rain and silver lanterns hung over the dancefloor. The crew were moving the extras around, spreading them around the floor and I could see Ed talking to the director on the furthest side from me. A few unlookers watched me from the barrier next to the bridge, taking snaps on their cameras and phones.

'You look lovely, Lucy.' Leon said, coming round the corner. Nina smiled at me and disappeared out of the way. 'Now what we'll do is film you making an entrance through the middle of the dancing couples and reaching Ed. Then if you just start dancing together and we'll see what happens. Okay?'

I sucked in a deep breath. One shot to get it right. No pressure.

'3, 2, 1... action.' I heard the director bellow and then the familiar music for Little Things started. Leon nodded at me and I carefully walked forwards, surprised at how well timed it was; every couple I reached just danced out the way and I smiled as a gap appeared and I could see Ed in his black trousers, smart black shoes, a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, black tie and a black waistcoat. He looked up at me and his eyes lit up and he shot me a smile that made my heart melt.

 _I am the luckiest guy in the whole world._

I blushed at our private conversation and gave him a shy smile as he reached his hands out for mine, pulling me gently towards him, as _'your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me'_ sounded. Perfect timing. He moved one hand to my waist and I moved one to his shoulder. We started to move slowly in time to the lyrics. When we reached the chorus, he twirled me around and I smiled at my spinning skirt. And then he sang to me and I could have melted; ' _It's you they add up to, I'm in love with you and all these little things.'_

Surprisingly, one take was all it took and the director was happy. 'It's a wrap! Nice work everyone!' He said and everyone applauded. Ed swung me around and we had a swoop kiss just like in the films. 'Please tell me someone got that on camera!' The director bellowed and we laughed as Ed put me back on my feet. He kissed my forehead and I smiled up at him.

Leon came over and put his arm around Ed, grinning. ''No Leo, mate, I will never make a soppy music video. It's just not me, man. I'm not soppy.'' Leon said in a silly voice and I assumed he was quoting Ed. 'Bollocks to that.'

'Circumstances have changed...' Ed replied, trying to hold back a smile.

The director came over and shook both of our hands. 'You've been great to work with. You're free to go home.'

The next day, Ed and Scott headed to Nissan Stadium to watch the Tennesee Titans play. Willow and I had been invited to join them, but then Nina had invited us shopping for outfits for Taylor's party and that was the winning choice; a day with the girls. Nina picked us up in her hire car after lunch and she parked downtown, where the main shopping was. There were a few malls, but it was mainly boutique shops. We spent a few hours there, grabbed dinner and then headed home, inviting Nina to get ready at the house for the party the next day.

I woke up early on the 31st December and I wasn't sure why. Ed was sound asleep beside me and the rest of the house was quiet. I got up, dressed in my jeans and an oversized jumper and headed outside, sitting myself by the covered pool with my notebook and the guitar from Ed's dining room. I looked out at the garden in front of me, so far from home. But this was what I wanted, wasn't it? An incredible boyfriend who loved me, my songs being played in the chart, my voice finally being heard. Everything was perfect. Too perfect. It couldn't be long before it all fell apart.


	8. Hostages

I plucked the strings on the guitar, feeling more relaxed. Maybe everything could be perfect? Maybe this was my happy ending? But then didn' t happy endings only happen in Disney films? I thought back to September, when I'd first met Ed, when I didn't know him at all. He was just a cute, talented musician that was overplayed on the radio. Running into him had been a coincidence or had been fate? My savant ability had driven me to intervene, to resue Sky and then Ed's feelings for her and driven him to rescue her. In that moment, he'd just been a stranger and then hours later, he was my soulfinder, wanting to know more about me.

 _'A dangerous plan, just this time_

 _A stranger's hand clutched in mine.'_ I sang as the lyrics came to me, my fingers playing chords. I scribbled the notes and lyrics into my songbook.

He'd turned up on my doorstep in Brighton, my tiny flat that I adored. And he'd taken me to the Sea Life Centre. We'd laughed together and then I'd Skyped Willow when I was home, denying that it was a date and admitting I was scared. I'd been cheated on by a guy who decided I wasn't pretty enough, that a model was better looking. I'd been left broken-hearted by a guy wanting to date his female best friend. And then there was Rich, the man who filled my nightmares, his body over mine as I cried out for him to stop. Yet for some reason, I'd given Ed a chance and I'd let myself fall in love with him.

 _'I'll take this chance, so call me blind_

 _I've been waiting all my life_

 _Please don't scar this young heart_

 _Just take my hand.'_

I scribbled the lyrics down and chewed on my pen, looking out at the beautiful garden in front of me, filled with trees. It would be beautiful in the spring, with the flowers out. I imagined Ed twirling me around the garden as he had done at his video shoot the day before.

 _'I was made for loving you_

 _Even though we may be hopeless hearts just passing through_

 _Every bone screaming I don't know what we should do_

 _All I know is, darling, I was made for loving you.'_

I paused, writing down the chorus neatly before I forgot it. I sang it again as I wrote it.

'New song?'

I froze at the sound of Ed's voice. I turned my head and saw him stood in his Batman pyjama bottoms, a hoodie over his bare chest and slippers on his feet. 'Sort of. It's nowhere near finished.'

'Can I hear it?' He asked, sitting down beside me.

'It's not very good.' I said, blushing and biting my lip. 'I'm not sure what comes next.'

'Then let's hear what you've got so far.'

I looked up at him and realised he wasn't going to stop until I played it, so I took a deep breath and started to play the chords, my notebook propped up in front of me reminding me of the lyrics. It was a little more country than my most recent songs, but being in Nashville had influenced me. I sang, focussed on the swimming pool so that my nerves didn't get the better of me and then I looked at him as I finished, waiting for him to say something.

'It's really good.' He said with a reassuring smile. 'Different to some of your other stuff but I really like it.'

'It's a shame that I just can't seem to finish it.'

'May I?' He said, signalling to my songbook. He picked it up and hummed the notes I'd scribbled down, tapping the rhythm with the pen. _'Hold me close through the night_

 _Don't let me go, we'll be alright.'_ He bit his lip in concentration and then continued. _'Touch my soul and hold it tight, I've been waiting all my life.'_ He looked up at me. 'What do you think?'

It fitted perfectly. The same notes as the first verse and the lyrics were beautiful. 'I think that's it.' I said with a smile.

He scribbled them down in the songbook and then continued. _'I won't scar your young heart_

 _Just take my hand._ And then back into the chorus?'

I nodded as he passed me back the songbook. I wrote down the lines of the bridge that had come into my mind;

 _Please don't go, I've been waiting so long_

 _Oh, you don't even know me at all_

 _But I was made for loving you._

'Well, Mr Sheeran, I think we've just written a collaboration.' I said as I scribbled down the end of the song.

'Relationship goals once again.' He said with a playful smile. 'Ah, I didn't upload that photo with the caption I said I would!' I watched as he selected a photo which had been taken the day of the shoot. We were dancing, our foreheads rested together. Then he typed in the caption he'd said he would;

 _#relationshipgoals #meeran #led_

I watched as it uploaded to Instagram and automatically to his Facebook and Twitter. 'Technically, you said you'd write that as the caption for your _next_ post. There's a Christmas picture and a picture of you with Graham since then.'

'But it doesn't work if it isn't a picture of us, smarty pants.' He said, kissing my nose. 'Now come on,' he nudged my knee and pointed at the songbook, 'from the top.'

I loved singing with him and the cheeky looks he gave me as he sang, his eyes looking deep into my soul. Our voices complimented each other and the harmonies sounded wonderful. _'I was made for loving you.'_

'It's like watching the soppiest film ever.' Willow's voice said as we finished singing. We turned to face her in the doorway and laughed.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing as we had a busy night ahead of us. We had a simple dinner, pasta, as we knew there would be nibbles at Taylor's house for the party. Before Nina arrived, I quickly had a shower to freshen up and to reset my natural curls. I was going to meet one of my inspirations that night, which was pretty scary, especially as she was one of Ed's best friends and I knew she looked out for him. I turned up the temperature of the water and sighed as the hot water trickled over my naked body, relaxing my muscles. I washed out the conditioner as shut off the water, grabbing a white fluffy towel and drying myself off. I wrapped the white towel around my body and stepped out of the bathroom. I closed the bedroom door and walked over to the mirror, running my fingers through my wet hair.

Shit. I jumped, holding my towel tightly around myself as Ed walked out of the closet carrying a pair of jeans and a shirt.

He swallowed as his eyes scanned my body. 'Sorry... did I...scare you?' He said, his voice uneven.

'I didn't realise you were in here.' I said, my cheeks turning crimson.

'I was just grabbing my clothes for later as I know you girls are getting ready together.' He said, biting his lip, something which I'd not seen him do before. The doorbell rang. 'I should get that.'

And then he was gone. I put on my underwear and robe in the bathroom, paranoid that he was going to walk back in again, and then I carefully blow-dried my hair, scrunching the curls. There was a knock at the door and I wondered if Ed was coming back. 'Come in!'

'Let's get this party started!' Willow called as she opened the door, Nina at her side carrying a dress bag and a bottle of wine. I felt somewhat disappointed.

'So why did Ed answer the door looking like a naughty school boy?' Nina asked with a raised eyebrow, closing the door behind her. 'And why do you look so flushed?'

'I don't look flushed, do I?' I said, looking at myself in the mirror. My cheeks were still a little pink.

'Oh my god, something happened, didn't it?!' Willow said, her eyes wide. 'Did you two-'

'No!' I cut her off. 'And keep your damn voice down.'

'So are you going to tell us?' Nina said with a wicked smile, opening the bottle of wine. She poured me a glass and handed it to me.

'I didn't think he was in here and I walked out of the bathroom... in just my towel.' I said, cringing. 'And he just looked at me.'

'I'm not surprised.' She laughed as I sipped at my wine. She handed a glass to my cousin. 'And just wait until he sees what you're wearing tonight.'

'Poor guy.' Willow said, plugging her iPhone into the docking station. Fifth Harmony's 'I'm Worth It' filled the room. 'Now help me decide what to do with my hair.'

I was impressed that within an hour we were all ready to go, despite fussing over our hair and make-up. Nina was in charge of make-up and nails, as it was her job, but she didn't seem to mind. She seemed quite happy sharing tips as she applied expensive stuff to our faces.

Willow slipped on her new shoes and twirled in a circle, the first to be completely ready. 'Think Scott will like my look?'

'Absolutely!' Nina and I chorused. My cousin was wearing a bodycon, lilac, satin dress, with a sweetheart neckline. It fell halfway up her thighs and there was purple and silver sequinned detailing around the waistline, adding curves to her figure. She was wearing silver stilettos and her hair was pin-straight. With her silver sparkly make-up, she looked like a superstar.

Nina's shoulder-length ombre hair was also pin-straight and she was wearing a light gold strapless skater dress, which showed off her naturally tanned skin, with killer black platforms. She had fierce cat-eyed make-up which brought out her hazel-coloured eyes. 'Think it's obvious that I'm just a make-up artist?'

'Just a make-up artist?' I frowned. 'You're practically famous!'

'Hardly!' She scoffed. 'But hey, go ahead and tell people that and maybe I'll meet myself a nice man at the party.'

I laughed, slipping on my shoes. Done. I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair hung in loose curls and my eyes stood out with the same make-up I'd had for the video shoot a few days beforehand. My dress was a tight, short bodycon dress covered completely in tiny blue and gold sequins. It was gorgeous. I was wearing gold platformed heels with it and a gold clutchbag. I'd added my necklace and earrings from Ed too, because I was desperate to wear them out.

Willow wolf-whistled at me and I laughed. 'Come on girls, get in, let's take a picture. It will be one of the last photos of 2015!'

We squashed together and posed, all of us pouting. 'I'm getting good at this.' Willow said with a smile. 'Just as well, Luce, I needed to catch up with you.' She looked at the photo we'd just taken. 'Nina, girl you're a pro.'

'I've been pouting since I was born.' She winked.

I quickly uploaded the picture to Instagram; _2015, you're going out in style xoxo_

Then I realised that Ed had tagged me in the photo he'd uploaded that morning. I looked at it and my heart skipped a beat. It was a cute and natural picture. And it had over two hundred thousand likes on it. I looked at the comments and smiled.

 _Omg they're just the perfect couple #meeranforever_

 _I need my own Ed Sheeran in my life please_

 _Why am I not her?! She's so lucky_

I was lucky. Very lucky. Nina took some snaps on her phone and we tidied up the bedroom. Willow took her things back to her bedroom and Nina and I tiptoed onto the landing, trying to hear the conversation downstairs.

'I can hear beer.' Nina whispered to me and I raised an eyebrow.

'How can you hear beer?'

'The clinking against teeth.' She said with a knowing smile as Willow appeared behind her. 'Right girls, let's link arms and make a grand entrance. I'll go in the middle.'

'Is this a good idea?' I said as we linked our arms together. 'My track record with falling over isn't ideal.'

'We'll be fine, Luce.' Willow said from the other side of Nina.

We walked down the staircase slowly until we reached the landing. Then we walked, as if we were a girlband, into the living room. I wanted to shout out 'pose' and do some silly pose, but I knew that ruined our entrance.

Nina laughed, wickedly, as Ed and Scott's simultaneously choked on their beer. She winked at Willow and I before turning off the television. 'I'm not sure about you gentlemen, but us ladies are ready to go and party.'

We walked to Taylor's as it was a few houses away from Ed's house. The air was cold and I was glad that I'd brought a jacket. It was just a shame my legs were freezing.

 _You're very quiet._ I said into Ed's head as the five of us walked along in silence. His thumb stroked the back of my hand as we walked hand-in-hand.

 _You look so... sexy. You're driving me insane._

My mouth tilted upwards at the corners. _Sorry. Should I go home and change?_

 _If you do that I'm going with you._

I bit my lip and looked over at him. His eyes were burning into mine.

'Isn't it this house?' Nina called out, breaking our stare.

Ed nodded. 'Yep, this one.' He pressed the buzzer at the gate and waited for a response. A fuzzy voice sounded from the other end. 'Hey, it's Ed.' The gate buzzed open and we followed him inside, up the long footpath.

It was probably rude to gawp at people's houses but I did it anyway. There were three properties nestled behind the bushes, all with white slat walls, large windows with shutters and a grey roof. The front of the main building threw me off as it looked like a sorority house with its greek-temple architecture, complete with columns and pillars. Ed knocked on the door whilst the rest of us gawped like idiots and I made the effort to pick my jaw up off the floor quickly. The door opened, and there stood the tall and slim Taylor Swift in white high-waisted shorts, a sequin silver crop top and sparkly silver heels. Now why didn't I look like that?

'Hey!' She said to Ed, pulling him into a hug. 'Don't leave it so long next time!'

'Sorry.' He apologised as the hug ended. 'Taylor, this is Lucy.'

'You're even more gorgeous in person!' She said in her country accent, pulling me into a hug. 'I can't believe he didn't let me meet you sooner!'

'It's great to meet you.' I said, really meaning it.

'And this is Willow, Lucy's cousin and her boyfriend Scott.' Ed continued.

Taylor pulled them both into a hug, surprising them. 'It's so nice meeting you all. Come on in!'

I tried my best not to be phased by the glamorous house with its polished walls and floors and spiral staircase as we followed Taylor to where the party was happening; her kitchen and _one_ of her reception rooms. We reached a giant living room where people were playing Rockband, a few I recognised as Victoria's Secret models with their tiny, pretty bodies. I also recognised Abigail, with her curly red hair- Taylor's childhood best friend. Then Calvin Harris walked into the room and I tried my best not to be starstruck. He was the most famous DJ in the world and he could make or break your career, I was sure of it. He kissed Taylor's forehead and then walked over to join us.

'Ed, mate, how's it going?' He said, shaking my boyfriend's hand and giving him a 'man hug.'

'Alright, Adam?' Ed replied with a smile. Of course, Calvin Harris wasn't his real name. I remembered reading that in a magazine article at some point. They started having a catch-up and I fiddled with the hem of my dress, nervously.

'Boys.' Taylor said, rolling her eyes. 'Come on, let's go and get a drink.' She grabbed my hand and led me into the kitchen, which was just as fancy as the rest of the house. 'What would you like?' She asked, pouring herself a rum and coke. 'I've got rum, vodka, wine, coke, lemonade, beer...'

'Vodka lemonade would be great.' I replied. She poured in some vodka and then she opened the fridge, pulling out the lemonade and topping up the rest of the class. 'Thanks.'

She clinked her glass against mine and we each took a sip of our drink. 'So I love your first single.' She said with a friendly smile.

'Thank you so much.' I said, surprised Taylor had just complimented me.

She squinted at the clock on the wall. 'I'd better get some food ready.'

'Want some help?'

'Sure.'

As we prepared the food, we spoke and laughed like old friends, which was crazy. The alcohol in my system was stopping my nerves and I was comfortable talking to her and we moved the finished nibbles onto plates and into bowls.

'So how are you liking Nashville?' She asked as she pushed cheese and pineapple onto cocktail sticks.

'I _love_ it.' I replied as I carefully placed the cupcakes onto the cake stand, trying to alternate the colours.

'Good. I hope you'll come back and visit more often?'

'Of course.'

'I was wondering what you'd done with my girlfriend.' Ed said, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded. 'I see you're working her hard.'

'You know me, I like making my guests work for their food.' Taylor said with a laugh as she washed her hands. 'All done.' She dried her hands carefully on a towel and smiled. 'You're only in here for the food.'

'That and a whiskey.' He said, playfully. I stood back and checked the cupcakes, pleased with how they looked. I put my finger in my mouth and sucked off the blue frosting I'd accidentally got on it. Ed bit his lip as he watched me and I blushed, turning to wash my hands in the sink.

'Here you go.' Taylor said, handing Ed a drink as I washed my hands with soap. Was it hot in the kitchen or was it just me? I just hoped that Nina's shine-proof foundation did what it was supposed to do.

I dried my hands on the towel. 'Need a hand carrying this into the other room?'

'Ed, your girlfriend is incredible. Hold onto her.' Taylor said to my boyfriend with a smile, before turning to face me. 'That would be great.'

As soon as we put the food out, people starting munching away, clearly hungry from consuming alcohol. A few extra people had arrived, I noticed, including Sam Smith, who was chatting to Ed and 'Adam' Calvin Harris.

'Willow!' I heard a familiar voice call out. I turned in time to see Selena Gomez embracing my cousin. 'I had no idea you would be here.'

'Blame Lucy.' She said, jokily as I walked over.

'I've just heard you on the radio.' Selena told me, kissing me on the cheek. 'I'm glad things are finally working out for you.'

'Me too.'

'Sel!' Taylor said, pulling her friend into a hug. 'I didn't think you'd make it in time?'

'I managed to postpone that magazine interview.' Selena replied. 'I didn't want to miss another epic Taylor party. They're talking about how to throw a Taylor Swift-esque party on Buzzfeed.'

I wondered how accurate they were. I looked around the room; Twister was going on in one corner, Rockband had been replaced by Mariokart and there was a photobooth too with all kinds of crazy props. It was definitely the craziest party I'd been to but I loved it. Adam stood by the iPod deck with his iPod and then the place was alive with music. Abigail put Mario Kart on mute and pulled up a girl I didn't recognise, dancing to the song as it started.

 _'I don't like it, I love it, love it, love it, uh oh_

 _So good it hurts_

 _I don't want it, I gotta, gotta have it, uh oh_

 _When I can't find the words, I just go,_

 _I don't like it, no, I love it_

 _I don't like it, no, I love it. '_

The Flo Rida and Robin Thicke remix, probably Adam's own, encouraged more people to dance and my cousin pulled me over to a space on the makeshift dancefloor before I could stop her, twirling me around and dancing as we laughed. Life was good.

'Okay, everyone needs to squish in.' Taylor instructed an hour later, as she set up her phone on a tripod on the mantelpiece. She was trying to take some photos of all of the guests together, which wasn't too hard as there were only about eighteen of us. Nina pulled me in towards her as we all squashed together. Then Taylor ran over to take her place. We took quite a few photos before she was happy and then the music was back on, if not louder.

 _'All the girls on the block knocking at my door!_

 _Wanna know what it is make the boys want more!'_

'I love this song!' Taylor cried out, grabbing my hand and singing the first few lines to me. _'Is your lover playing on your side?_

 _Said he loves you,_

 _But he ain't got time..._

 _Here's the answer._

 _Come and get it_

 _At a knocked down price.'_

I sang back to her, doing my best girlband impression. _'Full of honey,_

 _Just to make him sweet._

 _Crystal balling,_

 _Just to help him see_

 _What he's been missing._

 _So come and get it,_

 _While you've still got time.'_

Then we sang together, grabbing the inflatable microphones from the photobooth.

 _'Get your boy on his knees_

 _And repeat after me, say_

 _Take a sip of my secret potion,_

 _I'll make you fall in love._

 _For a spell that can't be broken,_

 _One drop should be enough._

 _Boy, you belong to me,_

 _I got the recipe_

 _And it's called black magic.'_

By the second verse, all of the girls joined in and we sang into microphones, cucumbers, hairbrushes and anything we could find as the boys pretended to ignore what we were doing. It was hilarious.

'Another drink?' I asked Taylor as the song ended.

'Please!'

I turned to Willow to offer her a drink but she was too busy dancing with Scott, all loved up. Bless her. I walked into the kitchen, surprised I'd managed to keep my heels on. They were surprisingly comfy. I opened poured out some vodka for myself and then some rum for Taylor, before opening the fridge to grab the lemonade and coke. I jumped as I felt hands on my hips.

'Having fun?'

I smiled and turned into my boyfriend's arms. 'I certainly am.'

He kissed me softly at first, before making it more passionate, pushing me against the kitchen counter. We both pulled back, breathless, before anyone could walk in. I bit my lip, feeling hot and flushed as Ed ran a hand through his ginger hair. He grabbed the bottle of whiskey and pulled himself a drink, so I finished making mine and Taylor's drinks. Then we headed back into the party.

'You're a star!' Taylor said as I passed her the drink. 'Come on, let's get in the photobooth!' She grabbed my hand before I could stop her and we posed in feather boas and tiaras. 'I am _so_ glad Ed met you! You're so good for him.'

'Thank you.' I said, not sure what else to say in response. She snapped a few photos as we made silly faces.

'I mean it, you know? He's so happy. I've never seen him this happy.' Her face was serious. 'Oh my god, how is it nearly midnight already?' She kissed my cheek and disappeared, making me laugh.

'Right everyone, we're re-locating to the balcony upstairs.' Adam called out, turning off the music. 'Five minutes til midnight.'

The balcony upstairs was huge and took up the whole of one side of the house. We all headed up in our coats and blankets were piled up to help ourselves too as well. Fairylights had been wound around the railings and I looked into the distance with a smile.

'Music City.' Ed whispered, wrapping a blanket around the two of us.

'What a fantastic few.' I replied, looking out at the twinkling lights of the city. It wasn't too far away but the air was still so quiet. I was sure it would change in a few minutes time.

Taylor appeared with Abigail, carrying champagne flutes and champagne bottles, and Adam appeared shortly after, carrying a laptop showing a livestream of Dick Clarke's Rocking New Years.

'It's weird not seeing you on there.' Abigail commented, nudging her best friend.

'It's weird not being there, but it's nice to be able to celebrate properly with you all.' Taylor said with a smile, handing out the glasses as Abigail started to fill them. I held the glass carefully in my hand, surprised at how cold it was. The song on the livestream finished and some of the Victoria's Secret girls squealed. It was nearly time.

'This year has gone too fast.' Willow whispered from beside me.

'And I can't believe just how much has changed.' I said to her, squeezing her hand under my blanket. And it had; my dream of having a record deal and releasing songs had finally come true, I had an incredible boyfriend who loved me, Willow was now a proper report for her magazine and she had a decent boyfriend who I doubted would ever cheat on her.

'All for the better.' Willow said with a smile, obviously thinking of the differences just like I had been doing. This time last year we'd been sat at my parent's house drinking and laughing whilst playing silly DVD quiz games. Now we were at an A-Lister's party.

'10, 9, 8...' The countdown caught me by surprise so I quickly joined in. '7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Happy new year!' Ed's lips pressed against mine and I kissed him back as he wrapped his arms around me inside the blanket. We both pulled back with a smile and hugged everyone else.

 _'Should auld acquaintance be forgot,_

 _And never brought to mind?_

 _Should auld acquaintance be forgot,_

 _And days o' lang syne!'_

We all smiled and joined in, singing together, but not necessarily the right words. _'For auld lang syne, my dear_

 _For auld lang syne,_

 _We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet_

 _For auld lang syne!'_

The party finished soon after that, when we'd all finished our champagne, had a few final dances and we'd gone into the garden to celebrate the new year by posing with sparklers; I was glad I'd had plenty to drink by that point as we'd decided to pose without our jackets and blankets for the sparkler photos. Brrr. Nina had left ten minutes before us, catching a taxi back to her hotel in Music city with two of the Victoria's Secret girls.

'Thank you so much for the invite.' I said to Taylor as we got ready to leave.

'Get my number off Ed.' She said with a smile, pulling me into a hug. 'It was so great meeting you.'

'You too.' I smiled. 'And nice meeting you Adam.'

'Keep it up with the number one singles.' He said with a nod. Taylor hugged Willow and Scott and then hugged Ed.

'Catch up soon.' She said.

The walk back to Ed's house seems a lot quicker than it had on the way and I wasn't sure if that was because we'd all been drinking or if we were walking faster. I was impressed I'd kept my shoes on my feet the whole time and I hadn't fallen over once.

'Night, Luce.' Willow said, pulling me into a hug. Scott gave us a wave and disappeared up the stairs.

'Night, Wills. Happy new year.' I said, hugging her back.

'Night, Ed.'

'Sleep well.' My boyfriend said to her with a smile. Willow disappeared up the stairs after Scott, a smile on her face. I was glad she'd had a good night, because I definitely had. I looked over at Ed and realised he was looking at me the same way he had all night. Was it lust? Possibly. His eyes wandered down my body and then back up to my face again. He took a deep breath and so did I. 'Would you like a cup of tea?' He asked.

'I think I'm going to head straight upstairs.' I replied, nervously, biting my lip. I walked up the stairs, my legs wobbling. What the hell was wrong with me? I wanted to... definitely. I pushed open the bedroom door and walked inside, surprised Ed hadn't followed me straight away. Was he trying to control himself? Maybe he didn't want to...

He walked into the room with two glasses of water and placed them on the dresser as I carefully slipped my shoes and jacket off. He closed the door behind him and shrugged out of his hoodie, hanging it on the back of the door. Neither of us said anything for a moment. It was quiet. And then his lips were on mine, kissing me with more passion than he'd ever done before. His hands moved from my cheeks down to my hips and his tongue entered my mouth as my breath quickened. He pulled my hips closer to him so that my body was completely against his as he continued to kiss me. My hands reached for the buttons of his shirt and he stopped kissing me, resting his forehead on mine, his breathing loud. He didn't want to and I'd just made an absolute fool of myself.

I blushed with embarassment, looking down, but Ed lifted my chin with his finger so that I was looking at him. 'Hey, believe me, I _really_ want to. You have _no idea._ ' He said, kissing my forehead. 'But let's wait until we're both sober, huh? We've both had a lot to drink tonight.'

A perfect gentleman. Why hadn't I met him sooner? I could have saved myself a lot of hassle.

January 1st was our last day in Nashville and I knew I was going to miss it. I'd felt really connected to my granddad and I knew it was going to be hard to leave. I completely understood why he loved the place. The music history was incredible and everyone had been so nice. It was already around lunchtime when we woke up, so we spent the rest of the afternoon having a movie marathon wrapped in blankets on the sofa, joined by the ever-so mushy Willow and Scott or Scillow, as we were calling them behind their backs.

'So what are the plans for this evening?' Scott said, stretching out his arms dramatically.

'Hopefully something exciting. Our last night needs to go out with a bang!' Willow said with a grin, before kissing her boyfriend on the cheek.

'I've got an idea!' I said as it suddenly hit me. I remembered reading up about a place down in Music City. 'How does everyone feel about line dancing?'

'Line dancing?' Scott said, his eyebrows raised.

'We can't _not_ line dance in Nashville! It'll be all fun!' I said with a smile, looking up at my boyfriend. 'We could wear our daisy dukes Wills.' I winked at my cousin as both of our boyfriends widened their eyes.

Ed sighed. 'Line dancing it is.'

I was sure line dancing would be good fun and it was a good opportunity to wear the cowboy boots I'd bought myself in the Nashville Boot Co. shop when I'd gone shopping with Nina and Willow. I'd never been anywhere that had sold proper cowboy boots so I'd splashed out on a gorgeous pair to replace the scruffy Primark ones I had at home. My new boots had a slight heel and were a light tan colour, with a cut-out heart in the leather on the front of each boot and embroidery and studs. They were gorgeous.

'How do I look?' Nina asked, appearing in the doorway. She was wearing denim shorts, a loose floral camisole and a tan leather jacket with the ankle cowboy boots she'd picked up in the town. Her hair was scooped back into a loose bun.

'Ready to roll... or whatever they say when you're going line dancing.' I laughed.

'You manage to rock any outfit, I'm so jealous Luce.' She said, looking at what I'd decided to pair my cowboy boots with. I'd opted for a pale pink vest lace bodycon dress, which fell about halfway above my thigh, and added some girlyness to my outfit. I'd added a tan-coloured belt around my waist to make it a little more casual. I left my hair down in loose curls and I'd made my make-up as natural as possible.

'Like you can talk. At least you have a thigh gap.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Come on, let's go. I'm ready to dance!'

Our venue for the evening was the Wildhorse Saloon and it was perfect; a huge room made up of three floors. The two-floor restaurant looked like a saloon from the western films, although it had horse sculptures around which were a little weird. Then there was the huge dancefloor below, which was already buzzing with people dancing. We tucked into some food in the restaurant first and then we headed downstairs to chill in the bar and let our food go down, as a country music group performed on the stage.

'Now this is proper Nashville!' I said to Willow as the boys headed to the bar to order drinks.

'I wonder if your granddad ever came here.' She said with a smile, looking out to the people dancing. 'I'm so glad I opted out of dessert. I just want to get dancing.'

'If he didn't come here it's a real shame. He'd have looked it.' I said, surprised at how I was able to talk about him without being upset. Maybe coming to his favourite place had helped.

'Here you are.' A beer was put in front of me and I looked up to see that Ed and Scott were wearing brown cowboy hats.

Willow and I looked at them and laughed. 'Trying to fit in?' My cousin said with a smirk.

'Or trying to hide and pretend we were never here!' Ed chuckled in response and I poked him in the ribs. 'I'm kidding!'

'If you can't beat them, join them, right?' Scott said, bending down to kiss my cousin.

'Here's to our last night in Nashville and our first day of 2016!' I said, interrupting them by holding up my beer bottle. We all clinked them together and took a sip.

I'd decided that I was only going to have one beer and not because my stomach was struggling from the night before. The fact was, I wasn't hung over at all and I hoped that maybe, just maybe, Ed was finding me as attractive as he had the night before.

'We've only got half an hour left of our line dancing tutorial tonight so if you want to join in, now is your chance!' A woman said over the tannoy. I didn't need telling twice.

I leapt to my feet and held my hand out for my cousin, just as she finished her beer. 'Shall we?'

We linked arms and headed to the dancefloor, which was busy but not too busy. Still plenty of room to dance. We found a space with a good spot of the stage and the familiar introduction of 'Footloose' started up. Willow and I grinned at each other excitedly as we started to copy the side-stepping.

 _'Been working so hard_

 _I'm punching my card_

 _Eight hours for what_

 _Oh, tell me what I got.'_

The move changed to a box-step and I started to sing along with Willow.

 _'I've got this feeling_

 _That times are holding me down_

 _I'll hit the ceiling_

 _Or else I'll tear up this town.'_

The pace quickened and I was surprised I was keeping up. I'd learnt a few moves at school, but I was surprised I could keep up with the rhythm without falling over. Maybe my boots were magic? Willow shook out her hair and shook her head as she danced perfectly; damn savant power.

 _'Now I gotta cut loose, footloose_

 _Kick off your Sunday shoes_

 _Please, Louise, pull me off of my knees_

 _Jack, get back, come on before we crack_

 _Lose your blues, everybody cut footloose.'_

At the end of the song I felt hot and I was surprised what a good work-out line dancing was.

'This is one especially for you ladies.' The instructor said into her microphone as a familiar intro started up. 'Let's go girls.'

 _'I'm going out tonight-I'm feelin' alright_

 _Gonna let it all hang out_

 _Wanna make some noise-really raise my voice_

 _Yeah, I wanna scream and shout_

 _No inhibitions-make no conditions_

 _Get a little outta line_

 _I ain't gonna act politically correct_

 _I only wanna have a good time_

 _The best thing about being a woman_

 _Is the prerogative to have a little fun.'_

This song involved a lot of repeating the same moves, but facing each direction of the room, and I couldn't help but notice Ed was watching me intensely. Luckily, some of the moves were quite sexy and I performed them with my eyes completely on him. Would it work? I hoped so. When the song was over, Scott and Ed came to join and I was pretty impressed when _Blurred Lines_ started to play. It was an unusual song choice but it really worked.

'Okay, we've got two more songs left for y'all and for these you're going to need a partner.'

I smiled. Perfect. 'Shall we?' I said, innocently to Ed.

'Sure.' He said, swallowing.

I recognised the song as 'Save a horse, ride a cowboy' and it started off with us stood seperately and I had to move my hips in time to the music. Easy. Then Ed had to reach for my hand and we had to two-step, something which I'd picked up quickly and I was surprised Ed had too. Then again, he'd had _some_ dance training and he had good rhythm. He spun me around so that I was facing away from him and I had to shake my hips as I moved down to crouch on the floor and then back up again with another spin to space him. He bit his lip and the intense look was back. The dance pretty much repeated itself, adding in extra moves now and then and I was surprised country dancing could actually be sexy. The second song was a lot slower and simpler, a cooldown, and I felt pretty glad. I was boiling hot and I knew I would probably ache the next day.

'Right, I could sure do with a drink. Round's on me.' Scott said, clapping his hands together. 'Four beers?'

'Just lemonade please.' I said quickly.

'Me too.' Ed replied, watching me.

Willow looked between us, confused . 'Ookay.. well I'll have a beer. In fact, I'll come and help you.'

The tutorials had finished, but people still danced away on the dancefloor, some continuing their line-dancing moves and others improvising their own routines. I watched as they danced to Achy Breaky Hart. I started to dance and singalong, hands on hips as I did a simple step, but Ed grabbed my belt and pulled me into him, kissing me softly on the lips. As he slowly pulled back I became very aware that we were being watched. I turned to my side to see a young couple, a similar age to us, looking at us.

'I'm so sorry to interrupt, but aren't you that stand-in girl that played at the Bluebird the other night?' The guy said, his arm snaked around his girlfriend's waist.

'That's me.' I said with a smile.

'You were incredible!' The girl told me, her blue eyes sparkling in the dim light. 'Absolutely incredible.'

'Thank you.' I said, gratefully. But didn't they want to see Ed Sheeran? The incredibly famous guy stood right next to me, looking surprisingly cute in a cowboy hat.

'Can I have your autograph?'

'Erm.. sure.' I replied as she handed me a pen and a napkin. I wrote her a little message and handed it back to her.

'We'd love to hear some more country songs from you sometime.' The guy said. 'You're so talented.'

'It was great meeting you.' The girl added and then they were gone.

I turned to look at my boyfriend, who had a lopsided smile on his face. 'So they recognise me but not _you_? What on earth is going on?'

'Maybe you're just bigger in Nashville than I am.' He replied, a twinkle in his eyes.

'Here you go!' Willow and Scott reappeared and she passed Ed and I each a lemonade. 'Still don't get why you don't want another beer on our _last_ night but whatever. Suit yourselves.' She clinked her beer against Scott's and they each took a sip as Ed and I shot each other a playful glance.

 _'You better take it from me_

 _That boy is like a disease.'_

Willow practically pulled my arm out of the socket, dragging me off my stool and onto the dancefloor. She loved a bit of Carrie Underwood and I did too.

 _'You're running, you're trying, you're trying to hide_

 _And you're wondering why you can't get free_

 _He's like a curse, he's like a drug_

 _You get addicted to his love_

 _You wanna get out but he's holding you down_

' _Cause you can't live without one more touch.'_

I felt like I was in the 2011 version of Footloose, combining line dancing with something more sexy, moving my hips and adding a little shimmy. Willow joined in and I realised it looked suprisingly cool.

 _'He's a good time cowboy casanova_

 _Leaning up against the record machine_

 _Looks like a cool drink of water_

 _But he's candy-coated misery_

 _He's the devil in disguise_

 _A snake with blue eyes_

 _And he only comes out at night_

 _Gives you feelings that you don't want to fight_

 _You better run for your life.'_

'We should get the boys to join in.' Willow said, signalling to our boyfriends; they were sat at the table on the edge of the dancefloor.

 _'I've got an idea.'_

 _I see that look on your face_

 _You ain't hearing what I say_

 _So I'll say it again_

 _'Cause I been where you been_

 _And I know how it ends_

 _You can't get away.'_

We reached the boys and I pulled Ed to his feet, walking him onto the dancefloor. Then I returned to my dance routine.

 _'Don't even look in his eyes_

 _He'll tell you nothing but lies_

 _And you wanna believe_

 _But you won't be deceived_

 _If you listen to me_

 _And take my advice.'_

I took his hat and put it on my own head, dancing around him with my hand moving across his chest and then back. He grabbed my hand, holding it in his and his spare arm snaked around my waist.

 _'He's a good time cowboy casanova_

 _Leaning up against the record machine_

 _Looks like a cool drink of water_

 _But he's candy-coated misery_

 _He's the devil in disguise_

 _A snake with blue eyes_

 _And he only comes out at night_

 _Gives you feelings that you don't want to fight_

 _You better run for your life._

 _Run run away_

 _Don't let him mess with your mind_

 _He'll tell you anything you want to hear_

 _He'll break your heart_

 _It's just a matter of time_

 _But just remember_

 _He's a good time cowboy casanova.'_

Ed turned me around so I was facing away from him.

 _'Leaning up against the record machine.'_

I moved my butt against him in time to the music and then quickly turned back to face him.

 _'Looks like a cool drink of water_

 _But he's candy-coated misery_

 _He's the devil in disguise_

 _A snake with blue eyes_

 _And he only comes out at night.'_

We continued to dance and then Ed pushed me backwards, holding me in place and I wondered if I was in for another swoop kiss. He gave me a teasing smile and pulled me back up.

 _'Gives you feelings that you don't want to fight_

 _You better run for your life.'_

I looked at Ed, feeling flushed, and his eyes looked right into mine, his breathing loud. The lights went on around us and I realised it was getting on to closing time.

'Are you ready to go?' Willow said, appearing at our side.

I took a step back from Ed, so that our bodies weren't pressed up against each other. 'Yeah, we're ready.'

The cab ride back to the house was quick and before long we were in the kitchen. I finished my cup of tea and stood up. 'Right, I'm off to bed.'

'Don't you want to watch a film with us? Our flight isn't until the afternoon remember.' Scott said with a smile.

'I'm still tired from last night.' I lied, yawning on cue.

'Sleep well.' Willow said, looking at me suspiciously. She always knew when I was lying, just like I knew when she was.

'Yeah, you too.' I said, taking myself upstairs before she could say anything else. I slipped off my gorgeous new cowboy boots and placed them on top of my suitcase. Then a familiar feeling hit me. My head hurt and my gut ached. Something bad was going to happen. But when? Were Scott and Willow about to break up?

'Hey.' Ed said, appearing in the room. He closed the door behind him and the feeling of lust was overwhelming. I desperately tried to push the bad feelings away. Everything was going to be fine. I didn't respond to Ed verbally. Instead, I walked over to him and kissed him hard on the lips, pressing my body against his. His hands moved to cup my face as he kissed me back. I ran my hands along his chest underneath his t-shirt and his breathing quickened. His hands moved down to my hips and he tried to pull my body closer. I reached for the bottom of his t-shirt and pulled it up over his head, breaking our lips apart for a second and then his lips came crashing down onto mine again. My nerves and the sick feeling were dissolving quickly and I was glad. I didn't want anything to ruin this.

Ed's hand moved to the zip of my dress as he continued to kiss me and he unzipped it, making it slide down to the floor. I was glad I'd worn matching underwear, a nice cream lace set. Ed looked at my almost-naked body, running his hands over the bare skin and my cheeks blushed. 'You're so beautiful.' He whispered, kissing me softly. I deepened the kiss again, running my hands over his bare chest and then slowly down to his belt...

I woke up the next morning feeling cosy and safe with Ed's arms tightly around my naked skin.

'Good morning.' He whispered, kissing my tiny tattoo and then my shoulder. 'How did you sleep?'

'Really well.' I whispered in reply. I turned over to face him and he pulled my bare body against his, running his fingers down my spine and over my bare bum. His lips crashed against mine and I wondered if we were going to have a repeat of the night before, which was fine with me. Then his ringtone sounded out on his phone.

'Ignore it.' He whispered, kissing me again and pulling my body on top of his. The ringtone stopped but started ringing again almost straight away. He groaned. 'This had better be good.' He reached for his phone answering it. 'Hello? Oh hi mum...' Awkward. I rolled off of him, embarrassed and he gave me a cheeky smile. 'What? No I haven't... Don't worry I'm still in Nashville... and Lucy is here. Yes we're fine... Oh my god... Yeah I love you too. Be careful... bye.'

I looked at his worried eyes. 'What is it?' He reached for the remote and turned on the small television sat on the dresser. 'Breaking News' ran along the bottom of the screen and there was a 'Live from London' sign.

'If you've just joined us we're here live in London where a hostage situation is taking place in a bank not too far from the Houses of Parliament. The suspects are a group of savants, people with super-human abilities, something which the USA president spoke of earlier this year in a press conference. Until now they seemed to be keeping to themselves but now they are calling havoc in London. There are at least twenty hostages thought to be inside Barclays bank and police are on the scene. London is in lockdown and people are being evacuated from the area. The savants have said that they want to be known and that they are a more superior race. We'll keep you updated as this develops.' The reporter said on screen.

'Oh my god.' I whispered, horrified.

'I'll call the label and check everyone's okay.' Ed replied, his eyes sad. 'And I need to check on my neighbours too and... oh god, Nina flew back over there yesterday.'

'I'll call her.' I said, grabbing my phone. Her phone went straight to voicemail. All I could do was pray for the best.


	9. Love

The next few hours were long, and we sat glued to the television until it was time to go to the airport. Ed was coming with us and I was thankful for that. I felt numb and worried about everyone back in England. Would we be able to fly home the next day? I sure hoped so. My phone rang as we sat waiting to board the plane and I answered it straight away. 'Hello?'

'Luce? Are you and Ed still in America?' Nina's voice filled me with relief. Everyone at the label had been fine too, although they'd all gone home for the day just in case. Even Eric had sent me a worried text.

'Yes we are.' I replied. 'We're just leaving Nashville to get back to Michigan.'

'Thank god.' She said, sighing with relief.

I looked up and the live feed on the television in the boarding lounge and I gasped as I read the scrolling message; _one hostage has been killed after trying to escape._ 'Oh god, this is awful.'

'It really is. Sorry, I need to get hold of my parents. Please stay safe.'

'You too.' And then she was gone. 'Nina's okay.' I told Ed and he let out a sigh of relief. 'What about everyone else?'

'Everyone I know is okay.' He replied.

'Good.'

'Flight DE12 to Detroit is now boarding.' The tannoy announced. We stood up and made our way onto the plane.

My parents, aunt and uncle met us at the airport, pulling us all into hugs and my mum was almost crying. I was so lucky that everyone I knew was safe. Why were savants doing this? Why did they need to? People had known about us for a few months now but we'd stayed out of their ways, keeping ourselves secret. And now we were terrorists? Suddenly a thought hit me; I'd felt like something bad was going to happen the night before. Had I predicted this? Had I known it would happen? I felt sick. I could have stopped it. I could have found out what was going to happen and stopped it but I didn't. I only just made it to the bathroom when I was sick and I was glad we were already at Willow's house so I hadn't thrown up in the car. There was a knock at the door and I jumped.

'Lucy, are you okay?' Ed was saying on the other side of the door. I'd been so caught up in the passion, so determined to have sex with my boyfriend, that I'd let something happen, something I could have at least tried to prevent. The vomit came again and I sat and cried for the life that had been lost.

Something weird happened that evening. The armed police officers managed to get into the bank, but they'd been unharmed. The suspects had disappeared and the hostages could not recall what had happened. They only said one thing when questionned by police; the savants are here to make our world a better place. As a savant family, we all exchanged nervous looks with each other. The hostages had been effectively brainwashed. We knew two things about the suspects; one of them was able to brainwash people and one of them was able to make them vanish without a trace, maybe teleport. My ability to sense bad things happening, Ed's ability to see sound and Willow's ability to copy were nothing compared to how powerful the bad guys were. The world had suddenly become more dangerous.

I hardly slept that night and having Ed sleeping downstairs on the sofa, far away from me, didn't help. Thankfully, though, I managed to get some sleep on the plane when the exhaustion from crying just got too much. I wanted to tell someone but I couldn't. Our flight had been diverted to Gatwick, as Heathrow was too close to the capital. People were being advised not to go to London unless they had to. The terrorist alert was the highest it had ever been and more officers had been sent into London. Unable to get back into London, Ed was staying at mine for the time being, which was fine by me. I slept a lot better that night back in Brighton, with Ed cuddled up to me under the covers.

I woke up early the next day and the sun coming up. At eight degrees, it was fairly mild for the beginning of January and it was warmer than it had been in America. I decided I'd go for a run to clear my head and to make the most of a beautiful morning. I changed into my running gear, tied my hair in a ponytail and snuck out without waking up my sleeping boyfriend.

As it was still early, it was quiet as I jogged down my empty road and across the road onto the promenade. A few other runners ran along, their faces focussed as the sun continued to rise. I concentrated on my breathing as I ran in the opposite direction. I could see the pier getting closer as I kept running and I noticed a few people cycling to work. I passed hotels. I passed homes. I could see the rides at the end of the pier, frozen, ready for another day of work. I felt a little light-headed so I stopped. Was I going to pass out? Black spots appeared in front of my eyes and I sat down on a bench, steadying myself. Why did I feel so dizzy when I'd been fine just a minute beforehand? Then I saw Leanne. I wasn't on the promenade anymore, I was in a nightclub with her.

 _'I can't believe people recognise you, Luce! This is huge! You're famous!' Leanne laughed, pulling me onto the dancefloor. 'My best friend the rockstar.'_

 _'More popstar, according to NME magazine.' I replied with a laugh._

 _'What do they know?' She tutted as Lost Frequencies'_ Are you With Me _blasted through the speakers._

 _'Oh my god, there's the guy I'm seeing! Come on, I have to introduce you!'_

And then I was back on the promenade, a dog walker passing me quickly. I looked around, confused. What had just happened? Had I fallen asleep? Feeling confused, I decided to head back before anything else weird happened.

'Hey, have you been running?' Ed said as I walked through the front door. He looked at my face and his eyes turned to concern. 'What's up?'

'Nothing?' I said, making it sound more like a question than a statement. I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water, drinking it quickly.

'Talk to me.' He said, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind.

I put down the glass and turned to face him. 'Something weird happened.'

'What was it?' He asked, his face etched with worry.

'I suddenly felt really dizzy and... well this is going to sound totally stupid.'

'No it won't.' He whispered, kissing my forehead. 'Go on.'

'I guess I must have fallen asleep or something because I was suddenly in a nightclub with Leanne and we were dancing. Stupid, huh?'

'It's not stupid. Are you feeling okay?'

'Yeah I feel fine now.' I replied, confused. 'It's like nothing happened.' My phone bleeped, telling me I had a work e-mail. I sighed. 'Guess the holiday period is over, huh? Back to work time.'

'I'm still worried about you. Come on, I'll make us some toast and tea. You sit down and I'll bring it over.' He gently pushed me in the direction of the living room and I knew I wasn't going to win. I sighed and sat down, putting my feet up on the large vintage trunk I used as a coffee table. I opened up the e-mail from Eric, wondering what he had planned for me.

 _Lucy,_

 _I trust you had a good time celebrating Christmas with your family. Despite the high-risk alert in London, work will be continuing this week._

 _Tuesday 5th January 1pm- Meeting at Warner Records HQ, London_

 _Wednesday 6th January 9am- Recording 'Skyscraper' in Warner Recording Studios_

 _Thursday 7th January 9am- Recording 'The Middle' in Warner Recording Studios_

 _Friday 8th January 7am- BBC Radio 1 interview,_

 _Friday 8th January 5pm- Graham Norton show recording_

 _Saturday 9th January 9am- Rehearsal with the band_

 _Monday 11th, Tuesday 12th, Wednesday 13th- Warner Recording Studios, time tbc_

 _See you tomorrow,_

 _Eric_

'How do you cope with such a busy schedule?' I said to Ed with a frown as he passed me my cup of tea.

'You get used to it. Wait until you go on tour.' Ed said, looking over my shoulder at my schedule. 'Sheesh, you're going to be exhausted.'

'I already am thanks to jetlag!'

He sat down beside me and kissed my forehead. 'Guess you're moving in with me for the next few days then?'

'Sorry, you're going to get fed up of me!' I sighed. 'Maybe when I get a bit more cash I'll buy a car and a nice little studio apartment in the city.'

'It's fine.' He said with a smile. 'I like having you around. Maybe you should keep some stuff at mine, just incase? Like clothes and stuff.'

'Really?' I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

'Sure, if you want though.' He kissed me softly on my lips and then grabbed his iPad, checking his schedule for the next week. 'If it makes you feel any better, look.' His schedule was filled with magazine interviews, photoshoots and television interviews. I spotted an overlap in our schedule and laughed. 'Well would you look at that. We're both on Graham Norton on Friday.'

'I'll bet that's set up.' He said with a playful link, scanning through his e-mails. 'Oh look.'

 _Ed,_

 _Thanks for working so hard over the festive period! Here's the first cut of 'Little Things.' We'll have it ready for release on Thursday, as expected._

 _Leon_

Ed downloaded the sent file and opened it straight away, squeezing my hand. The video started with the perfect ballroom scene. Watching it made my heart melt. I walked through the dancing crowds and then Ed's face when he spotted me, full of love, gave me goosebumps. He took my hand as the lyrics sang _'your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me.'_ And then it shot to him singing to the crowd. I blushed as the comment about the dimples at the bottom of my spine was made and it showed his hand on my bare back from my cutaway dress. The video showed us walking hand and hand alongside the indoor river, although it didn't look like it was inside. It showed Ed and I on the bridge, about to kiss, and him performing his song to an excited crowd. It was an incredible video and the whole thing made me feel emotional.

'Wow.' I whispered as it finished.

'It's really good.' Ed whispered beside me in agreement.

'My mum is going to cry.' I said, snuggling in closer to him. 'And Leanne is going to be a mess.' The doorbell rang and I groaned, getting out of my comfortable position to answer it. I opened the door to see Leanne on my doorstep, wrapped up like she lived in the arctic. 'Speak of the devil and she may appear.'

'I knew my ears were burning!' She said, playfully, before pulling me into a hug. 'Hello my dearest friend, did you miss me whilst you were away partying with Taylor freakin' Swift?!'

'I did.' I replied, honestly. 'Come on in, eskimo, you look ridiculous.'

'So do you! You look like you've been running.'

'I have.'

She looked at me funny. 'Who are you and what have you done with Lucy May?' She stripped off her coat and hat. 'Oh hi, Ed!'

'Hey Leanne, did you have a nice Christmas and New Year?' My boyfriend asked her with a friendly smile.

'Christmas with the family was nice, but you stole my usual drinking partner on New Years.' She said with a frown. 'Next year, I get her back.'

'Okay.' He said with a cheeky smile.

'Either that or you invite me to your fancy A-lister parties.' She said with a serious look. 'Anyway, I'm not really stopping.' She continued, turning to me. 'As I missed you on New Years, I've come to invite you out with me and Ad on Saturday. And if you say no then I'm afraid I'm just going to have to kidnap you.'

'I'll be there.' I said with a laugh. 'Come over here at eight?'

'I'll bring wine, as usual.' She said with a grin. 'Right, I'd better get off to work. I'll speak to you later.' She pulled me into a hug and then she was gone.

'I can never tell when she's serious or joking.' Ed told me, taking a sip of tea as I sat back down beside him.

'I've known her years and I'm still getting my head around it.' I replied with a laugh. 'I guess I'll head back down here on Saturday when I'm done with the band.' Ed didn't say anything. Instead, he looked thoughtful. 'What is it?'

'You said that when you fell asleep earlier, you saw yourself in a club with Leanne. You don't think it was a vision do you? Like of the future?'

'I can feel when something bad is going to happen but I can't see the future.' I replied, shaking my head. 'My ability isn't _that_ good.'

'Mum and dad said to me that when you find your soulfinder, your powers are stronger. That sometimes other abilities can come out.' He said, his blue eyes looking into mine. 'Maybe I've made you more powerful.'

I shook my head. 'I'm sure I was just tired from jetlag. It's nothing.'

The next day, Ed and I arrived at Warner Records HQ in London at the same time, as he was off for a meeting and so was I. He disappeared onto the first floor whilst I waited in reception for Eric. As per usual, he was running exactly on time and he greeted me with a smile and a shake of the hand.

'Welcome back.'

I followed him down the corridor I'd been down twice before and into a room with a large black conference table and black swivel chairs. I was greeted by a few familiar faces: Jamie-Lee, my PR officer; Darren, the tech guy; and my band (Jesse, Jake and Daisy), who high-fived me as I sat down.

'Thanks for all coming in for this meeting. I know it's hard when the city is very tense at the moment, but we at Warner Records have upped our security as I'm sure you noticed on the way into the building.' Eric said, plugging his iPad into the large projector screen. 'Now, Lucy has already achieved number one status for _Heart Attack_ , but sales are already down and she was knocked off the top spot after one week. Our next single, as you know, is _Skyscraper_ and with what's happened in London, I'm thinking this will sell well. The lyrics are about being strong and not letting anybody bring you down.'

And about not letting Rich ruin my life, I added in my head.

'It's a definite winner.' Jesse said, giving me a dazzling white smile and pushing his scruffy brunette fringe away from his face.

'It _should_ be.' Eric said, emphasizing the 'should.' 'We'll be recording that tomorrow and then we have the sexy _The Middle_ as our b-side to record Thursday. Then we'll set to work with rehearsing and confirming the other album tracks on Saturday. Lucy, Graham Norton's producers would like you to perform on the show on Friday. I'm surprised we beat Ed with that one, but that's fine by me. Skyscraper is what you'll perform and you can introduce it as your new single. Jamie-Lee, how's things on the publicity front?'

'Well as she's been abroad, there's not much on the media front although people did love those photos on Taylor Swift's Instagram of the two of you at her New Year's party. I'd like to get you invited to some upcoming events though, maybe even to London Fashion Week.' Jamie-Lee said, cracking her knuckles. I winced.

'And being in Ed Sheeran's new video will help publicity too, right?' Darren added at Jamie-Lee looked at him, confused.

'Ed Sheeran's new music video?' Eric said with a raised eyebrow. He looked over at me. 'When were you planning on passing this on?'

'Sorry.' I apologised, biting my lip. 'I didn't even think and it was kinda a last minute thing.'

'Well it certainly will get us some more hits on the website.' Jamie-Lee said, looking thoughtful. 'I'll make sure Leon puts your name on the credits for it. We want people to know that it's you.'

'I'm sure they do already.' Darren muttered under his breath, although it was only me that seemed to hear him.

'And Darren, how are stats for social media and the website?' Eric said, moving on swiftly.

'They're pretty steady.' He explained. 'I think that if you update more about what you're up to, it might help.' He said to me. 'You've not posted much recently and there's definitely a difference as a result.'

'Okay.' Eric nodded. 'That'll be all. Meeting over.'

Ed was still in his meeting when I finished, so I decided to head over to Kensington Palace, making the most of the cold, winter sunshine. As I walked into the park, a few heads turned and I wondered if I was recognisable in my day clothes; I was wearing a cream skater skirt, a burgundy silk blouse, thick wool tights and my mink faux fur coat with my signature shoe boots. I looked around and realised I fitted in quite well in London. Most of the people there were stylish, especially in this part.

'Lucy!'

I froze. Was it paparazzi? I looked up to see a familiar face; Greg. 'Hey!' I said, walking over to him with a smile. 'It's been a while.'

'It has. Sorry, I should have replied to your text when you said you were back. It's been busy at work.'

'Still interning?'

'Yeah.' He frowned. 'But other than the photos of you and Ed at the album launch, my boss hasn't used anything I've thrown his way and he took complete credit for those pictures. I'm just stuck buying coffee.'

I frowned with him. 'What a jerk.'

'I know. I'm not sure I'm cut out for all this interning. It's not getting me anywhere. My parents think I should just get a real job, but I love photography.' He sighed. 'I've just been handing my CV into some places.'

I felt bad for Greg. He was really talented, but getting into the photography business wasn't easy, even less so in London, where there were loads of art colleges and universities. And for his boss to claim credit for his work? It was completely ridiculous. Then suddenly an idea struck me. 'What are your plans for this afternoon?'

'Nothing, it's my day off... why?' He gave me a confused look.

'I've got an idea.'

Half an hour later and I was in a public toilet in Westminster, touching up my make-up. I always carried the basics with me just in case and I was glad I had. I put on some red lipstick, tweaked my eyeliner and added an extra coat of mascara. I looked in the mirror, quickly brushing through my loose curls with my fingers. Perfect.

'Are we going to get in trouble doing this?' Greg asked as I walked out of the grimy public toilet.

'Why would we get in trouble? My label want me to get more publicity and to post more online and you need more publicity so what could go wrong?' I said with a small smile. 'Just tell me what you want me to do.'

We walked over the bridge as Greg looked up at Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Every now and then, he'd stop, look through his camera lens and continue. Then he stopped for good. 'Okay, I've got an idea. I just hope it works.'

'It doesn't matter if it doesn't.' I said, reassuringly. 'We'll take photos until you're happy.'

'I don't want you to go blue. That won't make for a good photo.'

'So photoshop it.' I laughed and he shook his head.

'I try to photoshop as little as possible. Right, take two steps back.' He instructed, grabbing my handbag and hooking it over his arm. 'Does it suit me?'

'Not so much.' I laughed, obeying his instructions.

'Okay, just smile.' He said simply. I smiled and he snapped away some photos. 'Good, now maybe hold some hair in your hand? Yeah that's cool.' He clicked away. A few people passed us and looked at me their eyes wide, but luckily they didn't intervene with the photos. 'Okay I'm happy with those ones.' He said with a smile. I walked over to him, past the chattering people. 'I'm waiting for someone to pounce in shot and ruin a picture.' He said with a chuckle, looking out to the London Eye. 'Can you stand here?'

'Sure.' I stood where he'd instructed.

'Okay, can you lean one arm on the railing and put a food up on the side of the bridge.' He said. I tried to follow instructions, but failed miserable. 'Erm, like this.' He showed me with his body and then I copied him. 'Yeah.' He snapped away some photos as I smiled, laughed and even pouted. 'Cool. Okay, shall we go to the next location?'

The rest of the photos were snapped at St Paul's Cathedral and on the Millenium Bridge, which was pretty quiet, but I guessed that was because of what had happened the other day. When I thought about it, Westminster was incredibly quiet too and there were more police officers around than normal.

'Okay, that's all done.' Greg said with a smile.

'You mean it's a wrap?'

'Do they all say that?' He chuckled, putting the lens cap back on his camera.

'Not all of them but most of the ones I have met.' I replied, honestly. He handed me back my bag and I checked my phone.

 _At Jonathan Ross show now. Filming starts in an hour so won't be back until after dinner I'm afraid. Sorry beautiful. I'll see you when I get home. Ed xxx_

I sent a quick reply.

 _That's okay, see you then xxx_

'So what will you do with the photos now?' I asked, interested in the process.

'I'll go through them, adjust lighting and edit any bits that need editing, although I don't like to photoshop people because it ends up looking completely unnatural.'

'That makes sense.' I said with a smile. Some of the photos of me from photoshoots had been almost unrecognisable.

'I'd better let you head off, I'm sure you've got lots planned this evening.' Greg said as he put his camera away. 'I'll get straight to work on these.'

'Want some company?' I asked. I didn't have any plans for the evening and I didn't really fancy travelling through London at rush-hour by myself.

'Really? You want to watch me edit photos? It's not that exciting, really.' His eyes were surprised.

'So we'll get a take-away and some beer?' I suggested with a smile.

'A beer and take-away girl? I like it!'

Greg lived in Whitechapel, a five minute walk from the Aldgate East tube station. The block of flats were pretty modern-looking, but they were also quite small. Greg's studio flat was really small, but I knew he was paying a lot more than I was for my one bedroom apartment back in Brighton. On one side of the room was a small kitchen with white counters with black tops. Then there was a small circular table with four chairs. There was a white sofa decorated with grey cushions and then a double bed tucked away behind a bookcase, filled with books about photography. It was small but it was cute and homely.

'Sorry, it's probably not quite as fancy as places you're used to.' He apologised, closing the door behind us.

'I have a tiny one-bedroom apartment in Brighton.' I replied. 'Believe me, it's nothing fancy. It's bigger than this, though, and I bet I'm paying less than you.'

'Eight hundred a month.' He said with a frown. 'Cheaper than the last place I was in, though.'

'Eeek.'

'Think you'll get a place up here?' He asked with a smile, filling the kettle with water and then placing our Indian takeaway on the kitchen counter.

'I think I'm going to need a lot of albums before I can afford somewhere up here.' I replied. 'It's lucky Ed lets me stay with him really. Saves a lot of train fares.'

Greg laid out two plates and cutlery on the table, before adding a spoon to our curries. 'Yeah, that's pretty handy.'

I walked over to him, dishing out my food as my stomach growled. I'd missed lunch as I hadn't gone to the Warner Records canteen and picked up a sandwich like Ed was planning to do. Whilst we ate dinner, we spoke about our families and our Christmases, and I was glad that I'd made another friend in London. Greg was lovely and we had a lot in common. I found myself wondering if Leanne would like him. After dinner, Greg loaded up his dishwasher and got out his laptop, plugging his camera into the side of it with a USB cable.

'So what I do first is flick through the photos and see which ones I like best.' He explained, opening up the gallery. 'Of course, feel free to intervene if I choose some you're not happy with.' He scanned through a few photos, deleting some which were out of focus. He paused on a photo of me laughing in front of Big Ben. 'This is lovely.' I smiled, unsure of what to say. I hated commenting on photos of myself. He flicked through a few more and frowned. 'So many of these are great. Narrowing down until ten is going to be a tough job.'

By eight o'clock, he'd finally narrowed them down, edited them slightly, but not too much, and we sat looking at my Facebook page. 'Are you sure this won't get you in trouble?' He said, his voice nervous. 'They're not the same style as your last few shoots at all.'

'No.' I agreed. 'They're more fun and natural. I like them.' I clicked on 'Create new album' and wrote _Photoshoot with Greg Martin_ as the title. 'I'll link to your website in the captions too.' I told him with a smile.

'What if people hate them? I mean, I really like them, but what if other people don't.'

'I'm sure they will. I'm just glad I didn't break your camera lens with this ugly mug of mine.'

He frowned. 'You're not ugly. You're beautiful. An english rose, maybe, with your complexion. You're very photogenic.'

I laughed. I selected the photos and clicked 'upload.' 'Well there's no going back now.'

As it was getting late, I decided it was best to head back to Camden after uploading the pictures. I'd said I was fine heading home by myself, but Greg had insisted on accompanying me, proving to be a perfect gentleman. We reached the steps outside the apartment and he put his hands in his coat pocket.

'I had fun today.' He told me with a shy smile.

'Me too.' I replied, returning the smile. 'I just hope it shows your boss that you're a good photographer, although I still think you should find somewhere else, a magazine who deserves you.'

'We'll see. Thanks for doing this, Lucy.'

'What are friends for?'

'These are really good!' Ed said, enthusiastically, when he got home that night. He flicked through the photos and smiled. 'He's a good photographer. I can't believe his boss is such an ass.'

'I know, it's so unfair.' I said in agreement. I looked at the album and realised just how many likes and comments were on them. 'At least this might give him a bit of publicity.'

Ed clicked on the link through to Greg's photography Facebook page. 'A bit? Lucy, have you seen this?'

I looked at the likes on the page; 5601. There had only been 200 earlier that day. 'Woah.' I said in disbelief.

'I think you've given him a super boost. You're a good friend.' He said with a smile, kissing my forehead. 'And I am so lucky to have you as my girlfriend.'

'Are you? Really?' I said with a raised eyebrow.

'Yes.' He grinned. 'You're kind, caring, funny, talented, cute, beautiful and _very_ sexy.' He placed his hand on my thigh, which was bare from when I had taken off my tights, and pressed his lips to mine. I deepened the kiss and moved to straddle his lap.

'Wow.' He whispered, half an hour later, pulling up his boxers and jeans and securing them again with his belt as I climbed off of him, dressing myself on the sofa beside him. We were both breathing quick and my back felt damp with sweat. What a work out it had been for my thighs; one that had actually felt good.

'I know.' I replied, trying to decide whether or not to put my blouse on over my black, lacey push-up bra. I decided against it. My back was far too sweaty. I needed a shower.

I stood up, but he pulled me back into his lap, pressing his lips against mine. 'You _are_ incredible.'

After being woken up by Ed making love to me, I was in a very good mood when I arrived at the studio early the following day. I walked into the recording studio with a smile on my face, wearing black leggings, a grey off-the-shoulder slouch top and my cowboy boots, my necklace from Ed secured tightly around my neck.

'Good morning!' I practically sang to Eric as I passed him in the corridor.

'I need to speak to you.' He told me, his voice low. 'I saw those photos you posted on your Facebook page.'

Ah, shit. 'Well, you wanted me to post more...' I said, my voice weak.

'You're lucky they're good and doing wonders for your publicity or I'd be fuming.' He said with a frown.

'Wonders for my publicity?'

'Magazine websites and blogs are praising your fashion sense and the naturalness of the photos.' He explained. 'But next time you decide to run off for a photoshoot with an amateur photographer, you tell me? Do you understand?'

'Of course.' I practically squeaked.

'Good.' His phone started to ring. 'Now you've got fifteen minutes to warm up and rehearse with the band before we start recording. Hop to it.'

Eric was grumpy the rest of the day, making the day even longer than it needed to be. He kept huffing and puffing about the voices not being right and then the drumming rhythm was wrong... and anything else he could possibly pick holes in. Surprisingly, he let the band and I head out to lunch and grab some food from the local Starbucks, although we only had forty minutes to do so.

'Anyone else think he's being more of an ass than normal?' Daisy asked, running a hand through her long, bright-red hair.

'Absolutely.' Jesse agreed. 'Although I think I know why.' He nodded at me. 'He doesn't like it when his artists don't do as they're told.' His mouth broke into a grin. 'But I quite like the defiance.'

I blushed as I grabbed my caramel latte and panini from the lady behind the counter. 'I was trying to help a friend out.' I said, before explaining the whole situation.

'That's nice of you, mate.' Jake said with a nod as we sat at a table at the back.

'He should leave that magazine though, if they're taking credit for his ideas.' Daisy added.

'I know, that's what I told him.' I sighed. My phone beeped and part of my wondered if it was Eric, demanding us back twenty minutes early. I smiled when I saw it was Ed.

 _Hey beautiful. Remember I've got a dinner meeting with Leon later. What are your plans? xxxx_

'We should hang out more.' Daisy said to me with a shy smile. 'We don't know that much about each other at all, do we?'

'We don't.' I agreed.

'Jake and I are hitting Camden later for a gig at the Barfly that our friends are playing. You girls should come.' Jesse said, shooting me a cheeky smile.

'I'm in.' Daisy said. 'I think I'm going to need some cider if we make it out alive.' She turned to me. 'Don't leave me the only girl, will you?'

'I'm in too.' I said with a smile, before texting Ed.

 _My band have invited me to a gig in Camden with them! Hope that's okay? xxxx_

 _Of course it is! Be nice for you to get to know them. Have fun! xxxx_

I made myself a cup of coffee when I got in as I felt exhausted from being bossed around all day by my manager. He was finally happy with the song, although it had been five o'clock before he'd called it a day. I'd hurried home on the tube and then I'd jumped in the shower as my dinner cooked. The band were picking me up at seven for the gig, so I didn't have long to get ready. I ate my dinner quickly, knowing I'd probably regret it later when I had indigestion. Then I slipped upstairs to the wardrobe of Ed's bedroom, half of which had now been given to me. I'd been surprised when he'd said I could keep some things at his place, as I'd wondered if it was too last. But it was nice and reassuring that I always had clothes here incase I needed them. I opened the wardrobe and looked at the clothes that hung there; what kind of music did they play? I wish I'd asked as I knew that would have influenced my outfit.

In the end, I played it safe with my black high-waisted leather-look trousers, a cream bralet, a long necklace and my shoe boots. I quickly dried and straightened my hair, before re-applying my winged eyeliner and mascara. Then I applied some deep red lipstick. I grabbed my black fringed bag and checked myself in the mirror. It would do. Then the doorbell rang. I raced down the stairs to get it and when I opened it, Daisy was stood in front of me, her usually pin-straight hair curly, wearing a black leather skater dress with tights and heeled biker boots, a warm wool coat on over the top.

'Hey!' She said, looking at my outfit. 'You always look _so_ stylish!'

'So do you!' I replied with a smile. I grabbed my fur coat and closed the door behind me, locking it carefully. 'Hi guys!' I said to Jake and Jesse.

'Looking good, Luce.' Jesse said with a playful wink and Daisy rolled her eyes as she linked arms with me.

The Barfly was a ten minute walk along Chalk Farm Road and we chatted about work as we walked through the busy Camden streets. It was only Wednesday, but girls hurried around in skimpy outfits and musical artists walked along the streets with guitars hung over their backs. London partied every night. We passed the Stable Markets and then the crowds started to die down. The Barfly, with huge signage and drink advertisement painted onto it, wasn't easy to miss on the corner of the street. Jesse high-fived the security guard and he let us straight in, before turning to the girls behind us. 'Tickets please.'

The Barfly was decked out with leather booths and comfy chairs and it was clear that the band playing must have been male; teenage girls were everywhere, in their mini skirts and heels, trying to look older than they were. Some stuck to wearing tartan shirts of different colours with jeans and converse, but they still had far too much make-up on.

'Who is this friend of yours playing?' I asked Jesse with a raised eyebrow as Daisy squeezed in at the bar beside me.

'It's a band called The Vamps.' Jesse told me. 'James, the lead guitarist, is my best mate from school.'

'That's cool.'

'They're expected to be signed soon. There's a lot of interest.' He signalled for the bar man. 'Hi Dan.'

'Jesse! Good to see you! This round is on the house.'

'Thanks mate. We'll have four Amigos please.'

'Sure.' The barman disappeared and came back with our drinks, handing them over.

'There's a lot of girls in here. Now I know why Jesse and Jake wanted to come so bad.' Daisy said with a raised eyebrow. I looked around and realised that Jake was already talking to some girl who looked in her late teens, her hair dyed pink.

The number of teenagers started to reduce and I realised they were going upstairs. Jake had vanished with them. 'Ready to go up?' Jesse asked Daisy and I.

 _'Let's go.'_

 _'Tonight we'll dance_

 _I'll be yours and you'll be mine_

 _We won't look back,_

 _Take my hand and we will shine_

 _Oh, oh, oh_

 _She needs a wild heart_

 _I got a wild heart_

 _Oh, oh, oh_

 _She needs a wild heart_

 _I've got a wild heart.'_

'Thank you London! You've been amazing! Stick around because up next is We the Kings!' The lead singer said into the microphone as the teenage girls screamed. They disappeared out back.

'Having fun?' Jesse asked with a smile. 'I'll introduce you when they come back out.'

'Introduce us? Bro, they look like ten years old.' Daisy said, frustrated. 'Don't get me wrong, their music was great but they look _so young._ I was expecting some eye candy.'

I giggled, finishing my second beer. 'I bet you were.'

Jesse rolled his eyes. 'Whatever. I'm going to go found James and then we'll probably go to the pub downstairs. Are you coming?'

'I might stay and see what the headliners are like.' I replied with a smile.

'Me too.' Daisy said with a nod. Jesse disappeared off into the crowd of girls and Daisy turned to face me. 'I think I needed to be drunker to watch that band. They're cute if you're a teenage girl but I'm twenty-four!' She threw her hands in the air dramatically. 'I need to find a _man_ not a boy.'

'I think we need another drink.' I laughed, dragging her to the bar at the bag of the tiny arena. I ordered us each another beer and paid the barman. Then I turned back to my bandmate, who was gawping and staring at the stage. I followed her eyeline and looked at the stage; there were five guys in total. Two guys with long mousey brown hair, one with long ginger hair two with shorter dark hair. 'Men like those men?' I questionned and she blushed. 'Which one are you gawping at?'

'I'm not gawping.' She said. 'Just looking.'

'Well then which one are you looking at?' I teased.

'The guitarist with short dark hair and really pretty eyes.' She sighed, trying to subtly point.

'Hi there, we are We the Kings. We hope you enjoy our set tonight. Get ready to rock out London!'

 _'Check yes, Juliet_

 _Are you with me?_

 _Rain is falling down on the sidewalk_

 _I won't go until you come outside_

 _Check yes, Juliet_

 _Kill the limbo_

 _I'll keep tossing rocks at your window_

 _There's no turning back for us tonight.'_

'Oooh they're good!' Daisy said with a smile.

'Then come on, let's stop hiding at the back and dance!' I pulled her down so we were near to the front.

 _'Lace up your shoes_

 _Ayo ayo_

 _Here's how we do_

 _Run, baby, run_

 _Don't ever look back_

 _They'll tear us apart if you give them the chance_

 _Don't sell your heart, don't say we're not meant to be_

 _Run, baby, run, forever we'll be_

 _You and me.'_

We The Kings were good and they were good to dance to, although some of the teens had annoyingly started a mosh pit for no reason. I noticed the guitarist looking up at Daisy a few times and I wasn't surprised. She was cute and petite with bright green eyes. Her red hair wasn't natural but it suited her well. Soon they were on their last song and the night was getting late.

 _'We'll write a song that turn's out the lights_

 _When both boy and girl start suddenly shaking inside_

 _Don't waste your time_

 _Speed up your breathing_

 _Just close your eyes_

 _We'll hope it's not for nothing at all_

 _Nothing at all.'_

'Thank you London'! The lead singer said as guitar picks were thrown into the crowd. The crowd cheered and screamed, including us, and the guys started to pack away.

I looked over at Daisy, who was twirling a red strand of hair around her finger. 'We'd probably better get going soon. We are going to be shattered tomorrow and Eric will be even grumpier than normal.'

'Can't we get one more drink?' She said with a twinkle in her eye. One more drink and then maybe she could talk to the guitarist. That's what she was thinking.

'Okay, just one.'

We headed back to the bar and ordered our final tequila beer of the night, perching on the stools as the teenagers started to get kicked out by bouncers due to the underage curfew. Two glanced my way, their eyes wide. 'Oh my god, you're Lucy May!'

'Yes I am.' I replied with a small smile. 'And this is my guitarist-'

'Daisy!' The black-haired teen cut me off and smiled at my bandmate. Daisy raised her eyebrows in surprise, clearly surprised that they knew who she was. 'Can we please have a picture with both of you?'

'Sure, shall I find someone to take it.'

'No need, I've got my selfie stick.' She clipped her phone onto it and extended it as we all squeezed in. Then she snapped a few times. 'Awesome! Thank you, it was so cool meeting you.'

'You too.' I replied.

'They knew who I was.' Daisy said as the teens were ushered away by the bouncers. 'That was so weird.'

'It certainly was.' I said in agreement, clinking my bottle of drink against hers. I crossed my leg and then frowned. I hadn't broken the seal, but I was about to. 'I need to go to the ladies.'

'I'll hold your drink.' She said with a reassuring smile.

'I'll be quick.' I disappeared to the bathroom, relieving my poor bladder. When I got back, my eyebrows shot in the air. Daisy was talking to the cute guitarist she'd been eyeing up. She worked fast, I had to hand it to her.

'Lucy May?' The redhead lead singer squinted at me.

'Yes.' I replied, nervously biting my lip.

'You're at one of our gigs?'

'It seems that way.'

'No freakin' way! I _loved_ your single _Heart Attack._ Seriously cool. There aren't many girls willing to rock out these days.' He said, shaking my hand. 'I'm Travis.'

'Nice to meet you.' I said with a smile. 'You guys are really good.'

'We are?'

'Yeah, seriously, my friend Daisy and I loved your stuff!'

'Thanks, I'm hoping that maybe a record label will agree with us sometime.' He replied in his American accent. 'Is that your friend?' He nodded over to where Daisy was giggling at the bar, holding both of our beers.

'It is.' I nodded. 'I'd better grab my drink before she finishes it!'

We left around midnight, when the bar was starting to lock up. It was probably just as well too, as we had to be at the recording studio at 9am. We walked back with the guys; Jake had got a girl's number but Jesse was gutted he hadn't pulled. Daisy, of course, had managed to leave with a phone number and a new friend on Facebook, which she was _very_ happy about. When I got home, I was surprised to find that Ed was in the shower. I quickly changed so that I was wearing a pale pink silk and lace bralet and matching knickers. There was nothing wrong with wearing underwear to bed, was there? I heard the shower turn off and I checked my appearance quickly in the mirror. It's a shame I didn't have a silk robe as it would have topped off the outfit perfectly.

'Lucy? Did I hear you come in?' Ed called from the bathroom. I heard him unlock the door and he appeared in the doorway with just a towel around his waist. 'Woah.' He bit his lip as he looked at me, stood there in my almost-pinup underwear. He walked over to me quickly, crashing his lips against mine.

I arrived at work five minutes late the next morning and I was waiting for the bollocking as I slipped into the studio booth, where my band were already sat on the sofas. I looked around for Eric, waiting for him to pounce. 'Where's the boss?'

'Running late.' The music producer explained to me. 'Traffic is extra bad today. Don't worry, you were here fifteen minutes early, weren't you?'

'Thanks.' I whispered, taking off my coat and grabbing the latte an intern was holding out for me.

'I had so much fun last night!' Daisy beamed as I sat down on a comfy, worn sofa beside her.

'I'm here!' Eric called out, marching into the room. 'Come on, time to crack on!'

 _'CRASH_

 _I wanna fall_

 _I wanna be somewhere in the middle._

 _Somewhere in the middle_

 _Something_

 _It's better than nothing_

 _I just need a little_

 _I just need a little cause I_

 _Don't wanna be nowhere_

 _But somethings making me go there_

 _Somewhere in the middle with you_

 _CRASH_

 _FALL_

 _I like it I like it_

 _Somewhere in the middle with you.'_

The music producer clapped from beyond the glass and gave me a thumbs-up, although Eric just nodded. I took off my headphones, hanging them onto the stand, and I joined my bandmates for a group hug.

'Lucy!' Eric's voice called and I wondered what on earth I'd done wrong this time. I walked out to join him, surprised that it was just after lunchtime and we were finished. 'No time for hugs.' He told me.

'Nothing else is on my schedule for today.' I replied confused.

'It is now. Jamie-Lee has got you a ticket for the premiere of that new Hunger Games film tonight.'

'Mockingjay Part two?' I said, surprised. I'd been waiting for it to be released. I'd never expected to go to the premiere.

'Yeah, it's probably that one. Point is, she got you and a plus one a ticket. Not that I need to ask who your plus one is. There's a car outside for you to take you to meet Amanda at the beauty parlour. Grab your stuff, you've not got long until your appointment.'

Daisy gave me a thumbs up and I smiled. 'I don't need asking twice.'

'The premiere is at seven tonight? Nina's going to kill me!' Ed chuckled on the phone when I rang him in the car.

'I hope she doesn't kill you or I won't have a date.' I replied, looking at my chipped nails and frowning.

'Well I'll be there beautiful. I just might not be in a fancy suit unless I can get hold of Nina. I'll speak later?'

'Bye.'

The car pulled to a stop and I looked out of the window to see that we were at 'The Covent Garden Salon.' It was a small and simple beauty salon, but the staff greeted me with friendly faces as soon as I walked in the door. Then I spotted Amanda, who I was very glad to see. I was in capable hands.

'I'm so glad you're here.' I said to her as I was placed in a comfy chair.

'Talk about last minute dot com.' She said, shaking her head. 'It's lucky you're my only client. It wasn't easy to get you booked in for all the treatments Eric wanted you to at this late notice, that's for sure.'

'All the treatments?' I replied, my eyes wide.

My legs, under arms and eyebrows were waxed, leaving me feeling sore. Then I was given a complete facial, which left my face feeling less painful. My nails were re-done and painted a deep red colour and my hair was pinned into rollers. Amanda reappeared with a plate containing salmon, baby potatos and green beans.

She passed it to me. 'Dinner time.'

I tucked into the food, feeling starving. 'What's left to do?'

'Just your make-up.' She replied with a smile, tucking into her own plate of dinner.

'Thank goodness.' I looked down at legs, which had been plastered in aloe-vera gel to stop them from stinging. It was working okay. They were less painful and the redness had gone down. I wrapped the white, fluffy robe around myself self-consciously and yawned.

'Oh no, you are not tired yet.' She said, shaking her head.

'I was out late last night.' I sighed.

'So I saw.' She passed me a copy of the Metro, which was showing me leaving the Barfly with the band last night. Luckily, I looked alright. 'With any luck you'll be in the paper again tomorrow.'

An hour later and I was ready for my first ever movie premiere. I stood in the ladies bathroom, looking at my reflection in the full-length mirror, surprised at my glamorous rock look. My hair fell in loose curls, as normal, but my make-up was different to normal. Silvers and greys swept outwards, becoming darker in the corner of my eyes, and my eyes were lined with black eye-liner, sweeping out into wings at the side. My eyelashes were curled and layered with thick mascara. It was darker than my usual look, but it made my eyes look more blue, somehow. My lips were simple, just enough pink lipstick to make them stand out but without taking the attention away from my eyes. Then there was the designer dress; a black dress with plunging neckline (which mean no bra- eek!) and leather piping under the bust, where the dress fell out loosely and elegantly. The plunging neckline meant that it was backless down to my waist. It was sexy, gorgeous and edgy. I wore simple black stilettos underneath and I had a tiny black leather clutchbag.

'Lucy? Are you dressed yet? I need to check your outfit before you go.' Amanda said, knocking on the door. I slipped the clothes I'd been wearing into the dressbag and opened the bathroom door, stepping out. 'Well don't you looking smokin'.' She said, turning me around. 'Oh you'll definitely do.'

'Think Ed will like it?' I asked, nervously.

'Honey, you are going to drive him crazy.'

The car arrived to take me to the premiere not long after that and I was disappointed when Ed text me.

 _They sent separate cars for us so I'll meet you on the red carpet. I love you xxxx_

Separate cars? What was Eric playing at? Or Jamie-Lee? Or whoever had decided that. Whenever I'd been to a red carpet event, I'd always arrived with Ed. Now I was going to be arriving on my own and it was going to be freezing cold. The car I was in was cool enough.

'Almost there.' The driver told me as we turned towards Leicester Square.

'Okay.' I replied, nervously.

'First time on the red carpet?'

'Not quite... first time solo on the red carpet.' I sighed.

'Of course. I've seen you in the paper with Ed Sheeran.' He said as we reached a queue of black cars. 'Maybe it will do you some good, making your own grand entrance. Might stop people just associating you with Sheeran.'

Maybe that's why my manager had done this. So that I was making a name for myself. 'Maybe you're right.'

The car moved again and I heard the screams and cheers, and I saw the flashing of photography on the red carpet. My driver turned to face me with a smile. 'Are you ready?' I nodded, mutely, and he got out of the car, walking around to my side. I sucked in a deep breath and he opened the door. I got out of the car slowly, and carefully, before whispering a thank you and walking onto the red carpet. I was first faced with fans, holding out pictures and photos, hoping to get them signed by the Hunger Games cast. A few took photos from me and held out autograph books, so I signed them with a smile. Then I walked further up the red carpet to where the press were.

'Lucy!'

'Lucy May!'

'You're looking incredible!'

'What are you wearing?'

'This is a new piece by Kaufman Franco.' I replied with a smile, posing for some pictures with my hand on my hip. The cameras flashed and I changed poses, trying to act confident, despite feeling nervous.

'Lucy, can we ask you a few questions?' A reporter from 4Music said.

'Sure.' I said with a smile, walking over to her.

'Are you a fan of the Hunger games series?'

'Absolutely.' I replied. 'I've read all of the books and I've been so excited about the release of this film. Being here at the premiere is just fantastic.'

'Are you team Peeta or team Gale?'

'Team Peeta. I've always been team Peeta.'

'Fantastic! Can we play a game?' She asked with a friendly smile.

'Sure.'

'Okay, we're going to play snog, marry or avoid. So answer as honestly as you can.' She explained. 'Your choices are Gale, Peeta and Finnick.'

'Okay... Snog Finnick, Marry Peeta and avoid Gale.' I replied with a laugh and she nodded.

'Thank you so much.'

'You're welcome.' I slipped away and then spotted a familiar face coming up the red carpet.

 _Wow._ He said into my head. _Just wow._

 _Do you like it?_ I replied, innocently. I shot him a playful smile and he returned a lopsided one.

 _You're beautiful and so god damn sexy._ He reached me and wrapped an arm around my waist.

'Ed! Lucy! Over here!'

'Show us some love!'

'This way!'

Ed pressed his lips to my forehead and I smiled as he said, _I love you._


	10. The Ex

I was beyond exhausted by the time Ed and I arrived at Graham Norton the following evening. I'd been on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show from 7am, after getting in from the premiere at midnight. Thankfully, Amanda joined me in my make-shift dressing room and she'd brought a load of concealer with her. And coffee.

'You must be exhausted.' She said, dabbing concealer gently under my eyes.

'Absolutely.' I told her, stifling a yawn. 'I'm supposed to be going out with my friends tomorrow night. I'm worried I'll be a zombie by then.'

'You'll be fine.' She smiled. 'Just go to bed when you're done here! At least filming will be over by eight. Then you can go and get some rest.'

'Some much needed rest.' I sighed as she started to dust eyeshadow over my eyes.

'I'm going to use light colours today to try and brighten up your tired eyes.' She told me. 'That way no one will ever know.'

'You must be sick of seeing me too.'

'Sick of seeing you? I've seen you twice this week. That's not that much.'

'Two days of work. That would be lovely.' I said, dreamily.

She started to apply eyeliner carefully along my upper-lashline. 'Not really two days. I've been looking into future outfits for you and I've been speaking to designers. There's a lot of designers that want Lucy May to wear their latest outfits. Some of them want to send you freebies.'

'Free clothes!' I gasped.

'Sit still.' She told me off. 'Or this eyeliner is going to be halfway across your face. But yes, free clothes. Any that don't fit, please send my way.'

'Absolutely!'

'I've given them your home address so you might have a huge pile of outfits when you next go home. I do apologise.'

'I might finally have to clear out my wardrobe.'

'Or you might have to find somewhere bigger. Open your eyes.' I did as I was told and she checked they were both even. 'Look up.' She said, moving to my lower lashline. 'Have you thought about getting a bigger place?'

'I don't know. I quite like my cosy Brighton apartment.'

'You could at least look at one of those apartments over-looking the sea. That would be nice.'

It would. But I wasn't sure it would feel like home to me.

'On the show tonight... the star of the Hunger Games, a brilliant comedian, your favourite ginger and a heart breaker.' Graham Norton announced and the crowd applauded as the title sequence started. I watched on the screen as Graham Norton appeared on the set. 'Welcome everybody! We've got a great show for you this evening. Hollywood beauty Jennifer Lawrence is here!' Cue screams. 'The hilarious Michael Mcintyre is on the show.' Cue screams. 'Award-winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is here!' Cue even more hysterical screams. 'And the gorgeous and talented Lucy May is on the show too!' Cue, surprisingly, cheers and screams. 'Let's get the guests on... Jennifer Lawrence!... Ed Sheeran!...Michael McIntyre!... and Lucy May!' The three other guests walked on and I smiled as I watched Ed on the screen from the green room. I wasn't joining them until later, due to my performance. Amanda sat beside me, spiritzing hairspray onto my loose curls. 'All done.' She said with a smile. I was wearing a dogtooth print mini skirt with black tights, black shoe boots and a silk blouse. It was quickly becoming my new favourite outfit. I looked across the greenroom where my band sat, looking nervous. It wasn't just _my_ first debut.

'Welcome back to a star-studded show tonight.' Graham said as the cameras went back to rolling after the second break. 'If you've just joined us I'm lucky enough to have Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Mcintyre, Ed Sheeran and Lucy May with me tonight. Now, Ed, you've not long ago released your third album which zoomed in straight to the album charts at number one.'

'That's right.' My boyfriend said with a smile. 'I'm so glad everyone's loving it. I've had such positive feedback.'

'It really is another incredible album and I'm sure it will be winning you yet more awards.'

'Thank you, I hope so.'

'Am I right in thinking that you have a special treat for us tonight?'

'I do.' He said with a playful smile. 'I've just released my new single _Little Things_ this week and whilst I was in America, I was busy shooting the music video. I'd like to show everyone it for the first time if that's okay?'

'Absolutely!' Graham grinned and the crowd cheered. 'Who wants to see Ed Sheeran's new music video?' Cue screams. 'Great, so let's have a look.'

I sat in the greenroom watching the video fill the screen and I was pleased it was no different from the cut Ed had been sent a few days beforehand. I blushed at the close-ups of me as I watched our lovestory be shown for everyone to see. When it finished, the crowd cheered and screamed.

'Eugh, you guys make me so jealous.' Amanda tutted from beside me and I giggled.

'Wow.' Graham Norton was saying as he and the other celebrity guests applauded. 'Incredible.'

'Thank you.' Ed said with a cute smile.

'Hear that? It's the sound of a thousand girls suddenly dumping their boyfriends.' Michael Mcintyre joked and everyone laughed.

'I think it's safe to say that everyone is jealous of your relationship with our fourth guest tonight, Lucy May. Am I right?' Graham said and the crowd screamed and cheered.

'I'm a really lucky guy.' Ed said and my heart melted. Public display of affection alert. The crowd said 'awh' in unison.

'You've gone all soft!' Graham joked with a smile. 'Have you named a guitar after her yet?'

'No I haven't... just Nigel and Felix to keep me company.' He laughed.

'Still tiny guitars? I remember the last time you came on here and told me you had small hands but big feet. That's alright isn't it ladies?' Cue screams.

'Well that's what counts right.' He said, jokily and I couldn't help but blush as Amanda raised an eyebrow at me. I really hoped my mum wasn't watching.

'It's good to know.' Graham chuckled. 'Well Little Things is available to buy now and so is Paw, the only album released so far that's not related to Ed being bad at maths.' Cue laughter. 'Coming up after the break, we have a performance from the girl who has stolen Ed's heart and also the hearts of quite a few other men I'm sure... Lucy May. See you in a minute.'

The stage manager appeared in the greenroom with a friendly smile. 'I'll take you on set now.'

Amanda gave me a wave and I followed the stage manager, out onto the set and greeted by cheers from the crowd. I gave a small wave in response and then I looked over to where the guests were having their make-up topped up. Ed gave me a wink and someone in the crowd wolf-whistled.

'It's enough to make you sick, isn't it?' Graham joked and the crowd laughed.

My mic was quickly tested and I watched as Jesse, Jake and Daisy checked their instruments. They gave the sound guy a thumbs up. I spotted Eric stood next to the bleachers containing the crowd. His stern look made me even more nervous.

 _Relax and enjoy it. You are going to be great._ Ed said in my head. He always knew when I was nervous. Maybe he could read my mind, as well as communicate through it.

'We're back in thirty seconds.' The stage manager announced and the thirty second countdown appeared on the screens.

I turned to face my band and I gave them a thumbs up. 'We can do this.' I said to them and also to myself. Daisy gave me a small smile and the boys nodded. I turned back to the front. Ten seconds. The stage manager starter to clap and the crowd joined in, and then I knew we were going back live. I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth.

'Welcome back to the final part of the show.' Graham Norton said with a smile. 'Before we have tonight's stories in the red chair, it's music time. Let's meet the 23-year-old singer who is quickly taking the world by a storm. With her new single 'Skyscraper', this is Lucy May.' Cue cheers.

The lights on set dimmed and lit up by me, making me feel hot. I can do this, I told myself as the music started up from my band behind me. I suddenly wished I'd persuaded Eric to let me play my guitar. It gave me comfort when I was feeling nervous.

 _'Skies are crying, I am watching_

 _Catching tear drops in my hands_

 _Only silence as it's ending_

 _Like we never had a chance_

 _Do you have to make me feel like_

 _There's nothing left of me?_

 _You can take everything I have_

 _You can break everything I am_

 _Like I'm made of glass_

 _Like I'm made of paper_

 _Go on and try to tear me down_

 _I will be rising from the ground_

 _Like a skyscraper_

 _Like a skyscraper.'_

The crowd cheered and I released my tight grip on the microphone, moving my hands to my side. I could do this.

 _'As the smoke clears, I awaken_

 _And untangle you from me_

 _Would it make you feel better_

 _To watch me while I bleed?_

 _All my windows still are broken_

 _But I'm standing on my feet._

 _You can take everything I have_

 _You can break everything I am_

 _Like I'm made of glass_

 _Like I'm made of paper_

 _Go on and try to tear me down_

 _I will be rising from the ground_

 _Like a skyscraper_

 _Like a skyscraper.'_

I felt emotional and I had to stop my eyes welling up. This song meant a lot to me, it was a message to Rich. But it was going to also be a message to the people out there who were now scared of savants, who were trying to work out what had happened a week ago.

 _'Go run, run, run_

 _I'm gonna stay right here,_

 _Watch you disappear_

 _Yeah, oh_

 _Go run, run, run_

 _Yeah, it's a long way down_

 _But I am closer to the clouds up here.'_

I looked into the camera with fierce, strong eyes as I sang the next few lines.

 _'You can take everything I have_

 _You can break everything I am_

 _Like I'm made of glass_

 _Like I'm made of paper_

 _Oh Oh.'_

I moved my hands up into the air and into my hair as it felt natural to do so, as the song became more dramatic.

 _'Go on and try to tear me down_

 _I will be rising from the ground_

 _Like a skyscraper_

 _Like a skyscraper_

 _Like a skyscraper_

 _Like a skyscraper.'_

The crowd erupted into applause and Eric nodded. Did that mean he was happy? I high-fived my band members. We'd done it. Phew.

'Lucy May, everybody!' Graham Norton called my name and the applause continued. I smiled the crowds and mouthed 'thank you'. Graham beckonned me over and I walked over to the other side of the set to join the other guests. 'Thank you very much for that.' He said, kissing me on the cheek. 'You know Ed, but here's Michael and Jennifer Lawrence.' He said, introducing me to the other guests who kissed me on the cheek, including my boyfriend, before I sat down beside my favourite ginger. 'Very good. Of course, that's the new single Skyscraper which is going to be on your first album, am I right?'

'Yes.' I replied with a smile. 'I'm hoping to release the album by the end of the month so watch this space.'

'After that cracker and your number one single Heart Attack, I look forward to it.' Graham said with a friendly smile.

'Thank you.'

'So Lucy, you've become quite a star over the last few months. What's that like for you?'

'It's crazy. This is something I've always wanted to do and I've always worked so hard for it. I'm glad I'm finally able to do something I love. I still live in my tiny one bedroom apartment in Brighton, though, and I'm trying to keep things normal when possible. I think that's so important.'

'Absolutely. I couldn't agree more.' Graham replied with a smile and Jennifer Lawrence nodded, as if to agree to me. 'Do people recognise you when you're out and trying to be normal?'

'Sometimes they do, yes. Luckily, no one has caught me when I'm out running yet!'

'I bet you'd look glamorous even in running gear.' He laughed. 'You seem to be gracing all of the magazine pages with photos of what you've been wearing. You're very stylish.'

'Thank you. I try to be. Although, sometimes a onesie is needed and then maybe that's less stylish.' I replied and the audience laughed.

'I'll look out for that on Instagram! Right, before we go we've just got some time for some red chair stories, so who's up first?' He turned to face the screen behind him and a lady around my mum's age appeared. 'Hello.'

'Hello.'

'You seem a little nervous.'

'I am!' She laughed.

'What's your name?'

'Sue.'

The red chair made everyone laugh and before long, the show was over and the credits were rolling whilst the audience clapped. The cameraman yelled 'cut' and the applause stopped.

'Who enjoyed the show today?' Graham Norton called out and the crowd cheered. 'Let's give it up for my guests one more time.' They applauded, as did he, and then we were guided back off set by the stage manager.

Daisy and the rest of my band pulled me into a group hug. 'We did so great!' She squealed.

'You guys were amazing!' I said to my band with a grateful smile. 'Thank you so much.'

'That's what we're here for.' Jesse said with a crooked smile.

'Well done you!' Amanda beamed. 'I have to go but I'm sure I'll see you next week.'

'I'll see you then.' I replied, giving her a hug.

She disappeared and then some familiar arms snaked around my face and my cheek was kissed. 'Well done beautiful.'

'Big feet, really?' I said with a raised eyebrow, turning to face him. 'You realise my mum is going to watch this, right?'

He laughed. 'Ooops.'

I slept well that night and I was feeling a lot fresher the next day when we were putting together the final album choices. I'd had to play a few songs and share the music with my band, whilst Eric sat in deep thought.

'Something's missing.' He said, looking at the fifth draft of the album list.

'Oh?' I said, hoping it wasn't going to take too much longer. I wanted to be out of London by 5pm to head back for my girl's night. I looked at my suitcase of washing that sat in the corner of the room and sighed.

'It's a shame you don't have a duet. That would be nice.'

'She does.' Daisy said with a smile. 'I've seen it in her songbook.'

I shot her a frown and Eric's eyebrows raised. 'When did you write a duet?'

'When I was in Nashville.' I replied, my voice small. I wasn't planning on releasing it. It was just a cute song with Ed.

'Let's hear the chorus.'

I flicked to the right page in my book and strummed on my guitar, singing softly.

 _'I was made for loving you_

 _Even though we may be hopeless hearts just passing through_

 _Every bone screaming I don't know what we should do_

 _All I know is, darling, I was made for loving you.'_

He took the songbook from me and scanned the page. 'Ed Sheeran wrote this with you, huh? That means it's instantly a hit.'

'I don't know if he wanted us to release it.' I replied, feeling nervous. We'd not spoken about the song going anywhere.

'Nonsense. I'll get on the phone to Leon.' He pulled out his phone. 'Don't go wasting time now. You've got some songs to learn.'

Eric hung around until about four, when he finally left to go and 'make the most of the weekend.' We'd covered most of the songs and I was starting to feel tired again. It had been one hectic week.

'I think we should call it a day.' Jesse said, standing up from the drums.

'We're supposed to be here until five.' I replied with a yawn.

'We're all knackered and it's Saturday. Come on, what he won't know won't hurt him.'

'You're right.' Daisy said in agreement, before turning to face me. 'You're supposed to be getting back to Brighton.'

'If he finds out-' I started, but Daisy interrupted me.

'He isn't going to find out because none of us will say anything. Go on, clear off and have fun with your girls.'

I didn't need to be told twice. 'Thanks.'

The train was pretty quiet when I boarded it at Victoria Station, heading homeward bound.

 _What time is your train in? Lea xxx_

 _5.30! Running early! xxx_

I rested my head against the window and I must have fallen asleep, because I woke with a start to the sound of my phone ringing. 'Hello?' I said, sleepily, scanning the platform for a sign. Three Bridges. I still had a while.

'Hey beautiful.' Ed's voice filled the other line and I smiled.

'Miss me already?'

'Of course. How was your day?'

'Pretty hectic and exhausting. I might need some red bull to get through tonight.' I joked and an old lady across from me raised her eyebrows.

'I'll bet. Leon just called me... apparently Eric called him about some duet.'

'I'm sorry. I didn't want him to see the song but Daisy had seen it and-'

'It's fine.' He reassured me. 'I didn't expect it, but it's a good song and of course I'd love to sing with you. Leon said that it would sell well because of our joint fanbase and it's good publicity too, right?'

'It was nice just having a song between us.' I said, my voice small. I thought of Little Things, the song about me. It was lovely having a song about me, but it was obvious I was the inspiration because the video was everywhere and everyone was talking about it. I loved the public outings and that people knew we were an item, but I was worried they'd all think it was just one big publicity stunt. But it was more than that.

'We don't have to sing it if you don't want to.' Ed said, breaking me from my thoughts.

'No, we'll sing it.' I replied, not wanting to disappoint my boyfriend. 'Hey, I'm nearly in Brighton.' I lied, knowing I had half an hour to go.

'Okay. Have a great night with the girls and stay safe.' He said, as if he didn't believe me. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

'Oh my god, it's Lucy May!' A familiar voice called out when I walked through the ticket barriers at Brighton station. I ran over to my best friend and pulled her into a tight hug, before hugging Adriana. 'Did you miss me?' Leanne asked with a playful smile.

'Always.' I replied with an eye roll. 'So what, I get a personal escort service from the train station now?' I said as we walked towards the exit.

'You need bodyguards.' Adriana said with a wink.

I was greeted with the darkening sky and the lights along the hillside coming on when we walked outside. Seagulls flew overhead and buses whizzed past. I'd missed Brighton and I'd missed my tiny apartment. I opened the door to the main building carefully and was greeted by my middle-aged male neighbour.

'Hi Lucy, _a lot_ of stuff arrived for you when you were gone. Maybe get it sent somewhere else? You were lucky I've been off work sick.' Jackson said. He handed me five dress bags and two shoeboxes, which I passed onto my friends to carry.

'Thanks Jackson. Sorry, I didn't know any of this was coming.'

'You've not got into trouble, have you? Because expensive clothes arriving is a sign that someone's robbed the bank.'

'Have you not seen her on the telly? Or heard her on the radio?' Leanne said with a frown.

'I was on the telly once. They interviewed me on the news.' Jackson smiled proudly.

Realising we weren't getting anywhere, I unlocked the door to my flat. 'I'll see you soon Jackson. Thanks again.' We disappeared inside and I closed the door behind us.

'Okay, we're opening these now, right?' Leanne said, signalling to the dress bags they'd just draped over the sofa.

'I guess so.' I sat down on the carpet next to the sofa and picked up a shoebox. 'Oh my god, Jimmy Choos.' I gasped, running my hand over the logo on the front. I opened up the box and picked up the card inside.

 _Lucy,_

 _Have some Jimmy Choos on us. I hope you enjoy them and wear them with pride._

 _Jimmy Choo_

'They are the prettiest shoes I've ever seen!' Leanne gasped as I held up the perfect, gold, platform sandals.

'They are.' I whispered in agreement. 'I can't wear Jimmy Choo. I'm not classy enough.'

'You are now, darling.' Adriana grinned, passing me the other shoe box.

Inside the next one was the perfect pair of black Gianvito Rossi shoe boots, which had a black bow on the back of each of them. The outfits inside the dressbags weren't from a designer I'd heard of. I picked up the card and read it carefully.

 _Miss May,_

 _We're a new designer label just starting up in London and we love your outfits. We've sent you some of our new collection so please let us know what you think and you're welcome inside our London store at any time._

 _Maria Delegrassi_

 _Glamrock Clothing_

Inside the first dress bag was a gorgeous tartan skater-fit dress with a leather bow around the waist. I held it up against me, pleased that it was just my side. It was lovely. There was also a leather-look bustier strapless top, an asymmetric wrap-around black skirt, a floral peplum top decorated with lace and a black off-the-shoulder jumpsuit, like the one Sandy wore in Grease.

'If you ever want to get rid of some clothes, you know where I am.' Leanne grinned as I admired each piece of clothing.

'I think I need to get famous.' Adriana said, her face serious.

'And I need some food. Come on, I'll make us something easy and then we can decide what on earth I'm wearing later.'

By nine o'clock, we were dressed and taking silly photos in my bedroom. Leanne was wearing a strapless bodycon mini dress, her blonde hair in loose curls. Adriana's hair was pin-straight and she was wearing a tight tartan mini-skirt and a black tank top. I had decided to wear my new strapless leather-look top and the asymmetric wrap-around black skirt, deciding that they looked very good together. The skirt wasn't too short, falling just above the knee, which made a change. Most skirts were a lot shorter on me because of my very obvious behind. We'd all gone for smokey-eye make-up, although I'd also added some red lippy to finish off my look and I was wearing black wedges for comfort.

We ended up starting the night in The Library, my old workplace. Adriana said that she and Leanne quite often popped in for drinks and that it was the perfect pre-drink destination in Brighton. She was right. We weren't the only dolled-up girls in there. I spotted Hector behind the bar and gave him a friendly wave.

His mouth turned up into a grin and he walked around the bar, pulling me into a hug. 'Well look who it is! Long time no see superstar!'

'Hey Hector, how are you?'

'Can't complain.' He said with a shrug. 'How are _you_? You seem to be on OK magazine's website almost everyday and I saw you on Graham Norton last night. Great performance by the way.'

'Thank you.' I smiled. 'It's great to be back.' I looked around for my ex-boss, but couldn't spot him. 'No Stefan today?'

'Er, day off.' He said, looking over at my friends with an unreadable. 'Come on, first round's on me, what am I getting you all?'

The club we ended up in was new and had only opened for the first time just before Christmas. It was by the seafront and it was _huge._ Inside, each room had its own theme; there was the ice room with ice-cube chairs and fairylights, and a glass bar which looked like it was made of ice. There was the fire room with glowing orange lights and fake fire. There was a classy room which reminded me of Moulin Rouge, with dancers and draped velvet curtains over booths. There was a disco room with flashing dancefloor and then there was the main room, which looked like any other club, with a huge dancefloor.

'Let's play "I've never"!' Leanne grinned as we sat down in a Moulin Rouge-themed booth.

'That game is always too dangerous.' I said, with a raised eyebrow. 'Remember your sister's hen party?'

'But it's fun!' She pouted, before turning to Adriana. ' _Pleaseeee._ '

Adriana rolled her eyes. 'Fine. You go first then as you're so keen.'

'Never have I ever been on the television.' Leanne grinned.

I rolled my eyes and sipped my drink. 'Is this how it's going to be? Really?'

'Never have I ever gotten a tattoo.' Adriana said with a playful smile. Leanne drank, as she had a pattern across her ribcage, and so did I.

'Never have I ever worn glasses.' I said and my two friends drank.

'Really? Is that all you've got.' She shook her head. 'Never have I ever had sex on a sofa.'

Adriana shrugged and sipped at her drink. I did the same, my cheeks pink. Adriana sighed. 'Are we already going into inappropriate? If so, never have I ever kissed a girl.'

Leanne and I drank. She'd kissed me once, after a few too many. I bit my lip with thoughtfulness. Dirty ones were the hardest to think of. 'Never have I ever had sex on the beach.' Leanne took a sip and I raised my eyebrows. 'So you've not done it on the sofa, but you've done it on the beach?'

Leanne shrugged and I just shook my head. She looked at me with a wicked smile and I wondered what was coming next. 'Never have I ever had sex with Ed Sheeran.' My cheeks burned red and I sipped my drink, without looking at them. They both gasped and Leanne grinned. 'I _knew_ it! Spill!'

'Is this why you wanted to play? To get dirt out of me?' I said with a raised eyebrow.

'It worked, didn't it?' She grinned. 'So spill.'

'It happened in Nashville last week.' I said, quietly.

'Must be an upcoming romantic holiday destination.' Adriana joked. 'Let me guess, New Years?'

'No.'

'Really? But you looked _hot_!' Leanne said, sounding surprised.

'We were pretty drunk after Taylor's party and I thought it was going to happen but he wanted to wait until we were sober.' I explained.

'That's very gentlemanly.' Adriana said with a smile. 'Why aren't all guys like that?'

'Some are.' Leanne frowned. 'Do continue.'

'We went out the next day to some saloon in the city and there was dancing... and we both decided against drinking and then... well you know.'

'Is he good?'

'Lea!' Adriana said, her eyes wide. 'We are not drunk enough to be having this conversation!'

She shrugged. 'I just wondered if he was talented in other areas.'

'Oh my god!' I said, going crimson. 'Yes he is, now let's please change the subject, okay?'

Adriana nodded. 'Yes, let's.'

It wasn't long before we were on the dancefloor and then the song came on that I'd heard in my dream at the beginning of the week; _Are You With Me_ by Lost Frequencies. My eyes widened and I looked around. My surroundings were familiar too.

'AH! You're Lucy May!' A drunk girl said, pulling me into a hug. She pulled out her phone. 'Let's get a selfie!' And then she was gone.

'I can't believe people recognise you, Luce! This is huge! You're famous!' Leanne laughed, pulling me towards her. 'My best friend the rockstar.'

'More popstar, according to NME magazine.' I replied with a laugh.

'What do they know?' She tutted. 'Oh my god, there's the guy I'm seeing! Come on, I have to introduce you!'

Adriana rolled her eyes and I blinked, experiencing severe deja vu. It was exactly the same conversation we'd had in my dream. 'Stefan?' I said, confused, when Leanne appeared with my ex-boss on her arm.

'Hi, Lucy.' He replied casually.

'How did you two meet?' I said, feeling confused.

'Well Ad and I have hung out a lot since you've been away and we go to The Library a lot, remember.' Leanne said with a smile. 'And that's how I met Stef.'

Stefan, my pervy ex-boss who kept asking me out. He gave me a flirty grin and I wanted to punch him in the face. He'd better not screw over my best friend. 'Awesome.' I nodded. 'I'm just going to the bathroom.'

'Want me to come?' Adriana offered.

'Nah, I'm fine.' I replied with a smile.

I didn't go to the bathroom. Instead I leant against the wall in the nightclub corridor, between all of the rooms, trying to stop myself freaking out. Ed had been right. I'd seen the future. I looked through the window in the door and saw that Ryan had joined them, his arm draped over Adriana's shoulder. Great, now I was going to be a gooseberry, stuck with my pervy ex boss and 'love's young dream'. My heart ached. I missed Ed. I pulled out my phone and saw that it was just after midnight. Then I made a split second decision. I was going to go home.

'Would you like us to call you a cab, miss?' The friendly cloakroom man asked as I collected my mink faux fur coat.

'No it's fine, I only live around the corner.' I replied with a smile. A fifteen minute walk wasn't going to kill me. I sent my friends a quick message;

 _Just been sick. Getting a taxi home. I'll talk to you tomorrow xx_

Was I a bad friend for lying to them? Although, it wasn't completely a lie. I did feel sick. I'd just discovered I could see the future, but I couldn't tell my friends that. Not when the world was currently afraid of savants. I walked out onto the seafront, glad I had a warm coat as the cold air hit my legs. A group of giggling girls passed me and I hurried by before they could recognise me. Soon, I was away from the clubs and bars and I was into the residential area. Then a feeling struck me; someone was following me. I glanced over my shoulder but no one was there. Maybe I was just paranoid. And then I was pushed against the wall.

'Help!' I tried to scream, but a hand covered my mouth as the man in the black hoodie took down his hood. 'Rich?' I said, my eyes wide, looking at my ex in horror.

'Shh, don't scream.' He whispered.

'Don't scream?! You've just pressed me up against a wall in the middle of the night!' I hissed, trying to push him off of me but he held me firmly in my place.

'I just want to talk.'

'How did you find me?' I suddenly thought. Was he stalking me?

'Let's not talk about that. I want to talk about _us_ Lucy.'

'Us?!' I hissed, feeling angry. 'There is no _us_. There hasn't been for ages!'

'You're always going to feel something for me.' He said, his voice serious. 'Because we're meant to be together.'

'No we're not!' I sighed. 'Now let me just go home _please._ '

'So you can go to bed with _him_?' He growled.

'He'll be wondering where I am and then he'll come looking for me.' I lied. What Rich didn't know wouldn't hurt him. I didn't want him to know I was going home to an empty flat.

'I don't care. What's he going to do? I miss you Lucy. I miss your smiling and your laughter, your voice, your body.' He reached for my waist and I flinched. 'God I miss your body.'

'Rich, please leave me alone or I'm going to call the police and tell them _everything_.' My eyes filled with tears.

I wasn't sure how the next thing happened, but he was thrown backwards, landing on the pavement. His eyes looked at me fierce. 'How did you do that? You didn't even touch me.'

Shit. It had happened when I'd rescued Sky Bright in the alleyway the night I'd met Ed too. I took it as my cue to run, as fast as I could in heels and I wished I could just kick them off. He appeared in front of me and I screamed. How had he done that? Tears streaked down my cheeks as I realised the awful truth; Rich was a savant too and that made him more dangerous than ever.


	11. Fire

'You're a savant.' I whispered, feeling scared. I walked backwards until I was against a wall. My mind was filled with images of him ripping my clothes off with an inhuman speed and suddenly it all made sense.

'And so are you it would seem.' He replied, his voice even.

'Get away from me!' I cried out, trying not to show that I was scared but I knew it wasn't working.

'You'd be very useful, you know.' His smile was sinister.

'Useful?!'

'In the battle against the humans. It's coming Lucy, so no use trying to hide from it. You're going to have to choose a side sooner or later. Savants or humans?'

'Don't be ridiculous.' I hissed, spitting in his face.

He growled. 'You'll make the right decision even if it's against your will. I have guys that can do that, you know.' I carefully slipped my feet out of my wedges as he continued to speak. 'Change someone's actions and feelings.'

'Go to hell.' I hissed, kneeing him as hard as I could in the crotch. He fell to the ground and I sprinted home as fast as I could. I locked the building door and then hurried up the stairs, locking my door twice and pushing the sideboard in front of it. Then I sank onto the floor and cried.

My phone kept ringing the next day, but I refused to answer it. I was worried Rich had somehow got my new number and the thought terrified me. He knew other savants, savants who were more powerful. The thought made me physically sick. When the banging started on my door that afternoon, I tensed up. Had he come for me? I sure as hell hoped not. I looked up at the door in terror as the banging continued. Soon Jackson or someone else in the building would come and find out what was going on. Then they'd be hurt and it would be all my fault.

'Lucy! Lucy! Are you in there? Don't make me kick the damn door down beautiful.'

Ed. Why was he here? I caught my mess of a reflection in the television screen and winced. Still in my clothes from the night before with make-up smeared down my face. I looked like absolute shit.

'Come on beautiful! If you don't want to see me, just say, but I need to know you're alive in there.'

I stood up and carefully pulled the sideboard away from the door, pushing it back to its normal location. Then I slid the latch across and opened the door, shying away from the light streaming in. Ed pulled me into his arms, holding my tight, and then I let the floodgates open again.

'I'm going to kill him.' Ed growled when I finished telling him what had happened in the early hours of that morning. 'Where can I find him?'

'Please don't. I have no idea what he's capable of and he's got savant friends. It's dangerous.' I said, my voice sad.

'Then we'll go to the police. He's not safe to have out there, Lucy.'

'And then he'll tell everyone I'm a savant and then I'll be a villain.' I replied, looking into his eyes. 'It's all a game to him. Just one big game.'

'What do you think he means about a battle?' Ed said suddenly, his face curious.

'I think that hostage situation isn't just a one-off incident.' I said. 'I think it's going to get worse.'

'I'm going to call Sky and Zed.'

I shot him a confused look. 'Why?'

'Zed's brothers were the ones that came that night you helped Sky. The guys that killed that dangerous savant. One of them works with the savant part of the FBI. They might be able to help.' He pulled his phone out of his pocket. 'Go and have a shower and pack your bags. You're coming back to London with me. At least he doesn't know where I live.'

A few hours later and I was at Ed's house, unpacking my big suitcase and my little suitcase. I wasn't sure how long this was going to go on for. Zed had said he'd call his brother and let us know what was going to happen. I placed my cowboy boots from Nashville on the shoerack and let out a sad sigh. Everything had seemed perfect until New Year's Day. How had so much changed? I had an ex boyfriend out to get me, which was bad enough, but he was also a savant, making him even more dangerous that before. I thought about my power. The one that helped me push him away from him. I needed to learn to control it. It could prove to be useful. I stared at the can of deodrant on the dresser and squinted at it, willing it to fall over. Nothing. I tried again. Still nothing. Frustrated, I glared at it. Nope. It wasn't going to work.

'Got a problem with lynx?' Ed joked and I looked at him in surprise. How long had he been stood next to me.

'I'm trying to move it but it's not working.' I sighed, feeling frustrated. 'You have a go.'

'In case you've forgotten, my ability is a little useless. I can see sounds. Like when you speak, there are lovely lilac swirls.' He said with a lopsided smile. 'And when you sing they go all different shades of purple.'

'Have you ever tried to use your telepathy to move things?'

'Nope.' He said, popping the 'p'.

'Try it.'

'I really don't think anything is going to happen.' He sat down beside me.

'Humour me.'

He stared at the same lynx can I'd been staring at and suddenly it fell over. 'That was a complete fluke.' He said.

'Well then try standing it up again.' I replied, raising my eyebrows. He frowned, showing me his best concentration face and then the can stood itself back up. 'Right, so it's just a fluke?'

'I don't understand.' He said, confused, although a grin was tugging at his lips. 'I've never been able to do that.'

'And I'd never seen into the future. Just felt bad things happening.' I told him. 'Maybe it's because we've found our soulfinder. Doesn't the legend say that we're more powerful together? That we balance each other out?'

'I guess you're right.' He said, looking thoughtful. 'I never believed all of this soulfinder stuff until I met you.'

I smiled. 'Me neither.'

 _'The slightest words you said_

 _Have all gone to my head_

 _I hear angels sing in your voice_

 _When you pull me close_

 _Feelings I've never known_

 _They mean everything_

 _And leave me no choice_

 _Light on my heart, light on my feet_

 _Light in your eyes I can't even speak_

 _Do you even know how you make me weak_

 _I'm a lightweight_

 _Better be careful what you say_

 _With every word I'm blown away_

 _You're in control of my heart_

 _I'm a lightweight_

 _Easy to fall, easy to break_

 _With every move my whole world shakes_

 _Keep me from falling apart.'_

'Great work, Lucy.' Amy, one of my album producers said into the microphone the following Tuesday. 'Can we try that again but with the backing singers?'

The backing singers, Rachel and Kayleigh smiled and nodded, putting on their headphones. It was weird having backing singers, but it was also cool. Jesse counted us in on the drums and we tried it again with the backing singers.

'What do you think, Eric?'Amy asked my manager, who was watching carefully through the glass.

'I like it. Adds more power to the song. Can we try it all the way through?' He replied, smiling sweetly at Amy. He clearly fancied her, with her long, curly hair. She was really pretty though so I couldn't argue with that.

 _Lightweight_ was going to be the third song on my album. _Heart Attack_ was the first and I'd recorded the second, _Gonna get caught_ , the previous day. _Lightweight_ was taking a little more work but we were getting there.

'Great work team!' Amy said that afternoon. 'That's another song recorded and ready to go to editing.'

The backing singers high-fived me and I smiled. Was I going to be able to leave early? I sure hoped so.

'Okay, let's run through _Made in the USA_.' Eric said into the microphone. If we practise it now we might get two songs recorded tomorrow.'

It was a recent song of mine, based on my relationship with Ed. After all, we'd met in America. I'd tweaked a few lyrics since first writing it, editing it when I was in Nashville. I bit my lip. I hadn't performed it to him and I wondered if he'd liked it.

Jake started up with the base and the drums came in and then Daisy on the guitar. I counted in my head, ready to join in.

 _'Our love runs deep like a Chevy_

 _If you fall I'll fall with you baby_

 _'Cause that's the way we like to do it_

 _That's the way we like_

 _You run around open doors like a gentleman_

 _And tell me, "Girl, every day you're my everything."_

 _'Cause that's the way you like to do it_

 _That's the way you like_

 _Just a little West Coast, and a bit of sunshine_

 _Hair blowing in the wind, losing track of time_

 _Just you and I, just you and I_

 _Whoa, whoa_

 _No matter how far we go,_

 _I want the whole world to know_

 _I want you bad, and I won't have it any other way_

 _No matter what the people say,_

 _I know that we'll never break_

 _'Cause our love was made, made in the USA_

 _Made in the USA, yeah.'_

'Okay stop there.' Eric cut us off and I looked over at my band, confused. Daisy raised her eyebrows. 'Lucy, where's that edge gone to your voice? And the emotion?'

'Sorry.' I apologised, not thinking I had done anything wrong.

'Let's go again from the top.'

The next day I recorded _Made in the USA_ that morning and then Ed was called in that afternoon so we could work on _I was Made for Loving You_ together. We'd not sang it together since we were in Nashville writing it and it made me nervous. As the studio was booked out that afternoon, we sat in the small rehearsal room on stools, rehearsing, whilst my band, Leon and Eric listened.

I played on my guitar, whilst singing the opening of the song. Then Ed took over with the verse he'd written.

 _'Hold me close through the night_

 _Don't let me go, we'll be alright_

 _Touch my soul and hold it tight_

 _I've been waiting all my life_

 _I won't scar your young heart_

 _Just take my hand. '_

I tapped my foot as I joined in with the next part, singing like my life depended on it.

 _'Cause I was made for loving you_

 _Even though we may be hopeless hearts just passing through_

 _Every bone screaming I don't know what we should do_

 _All I know is, darling, I was made for loving you_

 _Please don't go, I've been waiting so long_

 _Oh, you don't even know me at all_

 _But I was made for loving you._

 _I was made for loving you_

 _Even though we may be hopeless hearts just passing through_

 _Every bone screaming I don't know what we should do_

 _All I know is, darling, I was made for loving you.'_

Everyone in the room with us clapped as we ended and I wiped my clammy hands on the legs of my jeans. Eric nodded, something which I'd worked out was a sign of approval.

Leon gave us the thumbs up. 'Your voices sound great together. I don't know about you Eric, mate, but I quite like this as an acoustic song.'

Eric nodded in agreement. 'I'd like to try it just with a tambourine or symbols though.' He looked over at Jesse. 'Think you're up to the challenge?'

'Yes sir.' Jesse saluted and my manager looked at him unimpressed. I looked and Daisy and we tried not to giggle. It was pretty funny.

I was exhausted when we got home that evening and I was even more tired the next day when, finally, the album had been completely recorded. I had an early night, heading to bed as early as I could, as I had a migrane and felt really sick. I was woken up in the night by the repetitive ringtone on my phone. I groaned as I looked at the alarm clock beside the bed and Ed groaned too; it was 5am.

'Hello?' I said sleepily into my phone.

'Lucy, it's Sarah. I'm so glad I got hold of you.' My landlady said, worriedly, on the other side of the phone.

'Is everything okay?' I yawned.

'I'm afraid it's not. There's been a fire at your flat.'

'What?!' My eyes widened and my heart hammered against my chest. Ed looked at me with concern, sitting up in bed beside me. 'How? And my neighbours? Are they okay?'

'Everyone in the building got out, but I'm afraid the fire just took hold too quickly. I think you need to get down here.'

I felt sick as Ed and I quickly got dressed. Ed called Leon, who managed to get us a helicopter, the quickest way to get to Brighton. I'd hoped to have enjoyed my first ever helicopter ride, but instead I was panicking. So many precious belongings of mine were in that flat, and so many memories too. Ed squeezed my knee and I looked out on the dark world below, where the sun was just starting to appear over the horizon.

We were in Brighton thirty minutes later, and another ten minutes later, we were at the block of flats. It was easy to spot mine; there was a police car outside and a fire engine still. My stomach knotted as I reached my landlady, Sarah. Then I looked up at the charred outside wall of my flat and my knees almost buckled.

'It's bad.' She told me, her voice sad.

A fireman walked over to us, carrying a box. 'Miss May?'

'Yes.' I whispered, my voice sad.

'I'm James Stewart, the fire chief for the Brighton and Hove stations.' He said.

'Is it bad?' I asked, my voice groggy. I looked over at the blackened part of the building again, hoping it wasn't.

His facial features softened and I knew it was bad. My prayers had been ignored. 'I'm afraid so. It looks like an arson attack. It started by the door and quickly spread through the rest of the property. I'm afraid almost everything has been damaged.' Ed grabbed my waist from behind, holding me up as the tears started to fall. 'We've managed to save a few items.' He continued, passing me a box. 'The police are going to want to speak to you.'

'My neighbours?'

'They're all fine and their properties are saveable. We think you may have been targeted.'

My eyes stung but the rest of my body felt numb. I looked over towards the police officers, who were shooing away some photographers. Paparazzi. Just what I wanted. I sank to the floor, the remains of my belongings in the box I was holding. I carefully opened it up, looking at the photo albums, one from when I was younger and one which had belonged to my granddad. Then there was the blackened teddy bear I'd had when I was a baby; he'd definitely need to be washed. And then a soot-covered jewellery box. I opened it up and looked at the pearl necklace my granddad had given me for my eighteenth birthday, still in pristine condition. Everything else was gone; my other photos, my first guitar, my clothes. I sat on the floor and wept until the police took me down to the police station to start the investigation process.

After lunch, Ed called us a car and we headed to my parent's house. The police had no idea who had attacked my house, but they were worried that I was being targeted. That made me worry about my parents. When my mum opened the door, I quickly pulled her into a hug.

'I'm so sorry about your flat, Lucy.' My mum whispered, stroking my hair. She looked over my shoulder at Ed. 'Hello, Ed.'

'Hey.' He whispered. My mum stepped aside, letting us in the house and closing the door behind her.

I sat down on the sofa, still feeling numb.

'Tea?' My mum asked.

'I'll have a coffee if that's alright?' Ed said.

'I'll put some food in the oven too. I'll bet you're both starving.'

I wasn't. I just shrugged. My dad walked into the living room to join us, sitting in his favourite armchair. 'Hello.'

'Hey, Mr May.' Ed replied as I looked at the family photos on top of the fireplace; my dad holding me as a newborn baby, me with my mum on my third birthday, a picture of Willow and I on my eighteenth birthday and, finally, one of us all in America on Christmas Day, the one which had just passed.

My mum returned to the living room with warm croissants, cheese, jams, tea and Ed's coffee. She placed the tray on the coffee table in the middle of the room and then sat on the other armchair, opposite my dad. 'Your old room is still made up for you.' My mum said, her voice soft.

'I don't think we should be here.' I whispered, thinking back to what my ex had said the other day. Another battle was coming. A war. Did I really want my parents in the middle of that? When I couldn't really protect them? Mum was a savant, but I had no idea if she had any special abilities. And mine definitely couldn't protect them.

'We'll be fine.' My dad said with a reassuring smile.

'What if whoever targeted me comes after you?' I said, my voice hoarse. I didn't know what I would do if I was to lose them.

'They wouldn't dare and if they come near you again I'll-'

'Dad!' I cut him off with a frown. 'I want you to leave.'

'Leave our home? You grew up here and then where will you go?'

'Lucy can stay with me.' Ed replied. 'My house is secure. She can stay with me until we find a new flat for her, somewhere safe. But I agree, we need to get you two somewhere safe incase the suspect knows where you live as well.'

'Work won't let me have any time off, you know that Lucy.' My mum said with a frown.

'So work away from home.' I said, my voice persistent. 'Please mum, your security is worth this. You can both work away from the office, you often do.' They always had done. Dad was a webdesigner so often worked in his in-home office and mum worked for the same company, checking and trialling websites before they went live.

'Where would we go?' My dad asked with a raised eyebrow.

I looked back to the photograph on the fireplace. 'Michigan. Auntie, Uncle and Willow would love to have you, especially if it meant keeping you safe.'

My mum looked thoughtful for a minute. 'That isn't a cheap flight ticket.'

'I can get you on a flight first thing in the morning.' Ed said, looking up from his iPhone. 'Say the word and I'll book it.'

We escorted my parents to the airport at six o'clock the next morning and I found it hard to release them from a hug and let them go. I hoped I'd done the right thing. Willow had promised to keep them safe and I'm sure my Aunt and Uncle wouldn't let any harm come to them. When we got back to Ed's, I finally managed to curl up and get some sleep, until I was woken by the familiar ringtone.

'Hello?' I said, sleepily, knowing it couldn't be any worse news.

'It's Eric.' My manager said from the other end of the line. 'I'm calling to let you know that I've called off any events this week. I think you need some time to sort things out.'

Well that was surprisingly kind of him. 'Thank you.'

'We've released a statement about what happened, as the press have released a few photos. Just so you know.'

'Is it in the papers?'

He paused before replying. 'Yes, but we're going to stop anything else being published about it.'

I frowned. No doubt they'd chosen photographs of me sobbing outside my ruined flat. 'Thanks Eric.'

'I'll call you next weekend. Let me know if you need some help finding an apartment. Bye.' And then he was gone.

I spent the day on the phone to my insurance company, claiming insurance for my lost belongings. Luckily, the company were completely understanding, especially as they'd read my case in the paper. I faxed over the relevant paper work and documents from the police station and they promised to pay out to me within a month.

'Looking at places already?' Ed said the next day, when he caught me nosing at apartments to rent in a newspaper. 'Should I be offended?'

'Sorry.' I apologised with a sigh. 'I can't live here permanently.'

'Why not?' His face was serious as I looked up at him.

'It's a bit... soon.'

'Oh.' He said, looking down at the cup of tea in his hand with a frown.

'It's nice having my own place, you know? For when friends come to stay?'

'Your friends are welcome here anytime.'

'And I'm so grateful for that.' I told him, my eyes sincere. 'But just for now, I think I should have my own place. You know, incase you see sense and decide to get rid of me.'

He put down his cup of tea and pulled me over to him. 'Get rid of you? Are you serious?' I shrugged and he moved his hand to cup my chin. 'Beautiful, I am _not_ getting rid of you. You're stuck with me.' A small smile played on my lips, even if I didn't believe him. 'But I totally understand if you want your own place, somewhere to call yours. Maybe I can help? Are you looking at Brighton again?'

I bit my lip. 'Actually I'm looking at London. It seems my Brighton chapter has ended for now.'

By Monday night, I'd booked up the next day with visits to rented properties in London, which all of the landlords and landladies were excited about; after all, I was the Lucy May. Cringe. As I'd never _lived_ in London, I'd decided it was best to rent first. I had found it hard, though, to choose where in London I wanted to live exactly, as it was so big and each part was different. I started off on Tuesday morning in Battersea. Ed had gone into work so I'd set off solo, wearing a big pair of shades on the underground in the hope that I wouldn't be recognised, despite the hefty bodyguard, Matt, who Eric had assigned to me for outings.

The landlord, Martin, met me outside the gated brick development. 'Lovely to meet you, Lucy May and...'

'This is my bodyguard, Matt.' I said to Martin, shaking his hand and feeling embarassed of the large, tall and muscular brunette stood beside me with big sunglasses on. Maybe I should have taken up his offer of a private car instead of the underground. 'Sorry, my manager insisted.'

'Understandably.' Martin nodded. 'Shall we go inside?'

The property was on the first floor. It was a one-bedroom flat, with unpainted brick walls and polished wooden flooring. The living room was small, only occupied by a modern-looking corner sofa, but I couldn't help notice how light it was, thanks to the four windows. Up a step led to the open-plan kitchen area, also modern and there was a small glass breakfast bar. The bedroom had built in wardrobes and was also very light. It was lovely, and as Matt had pointed out, it was secure. But it wasn't me. It was too modern. I thanked Martin for his time and we left.

The next apartment was the closest one I'd chosen to work. It was a two-bedroom top-floor apartment, on a quiet street in Kensington. The first thing I noticed when the landlady, Joan, took us up there was the view from the miniscule balcony. It was lovely. You could see trees and buildings disappearing into the distance.

'The balcony is only big enough for a small table and two chairs.' She apologised. 'But it is a lovely place to sit and watch the world go by. Let me show you the rest of the property.'

The rooms were decorated with white-painted walls and cream carpets. The living room was more spacious than the last, and I knew I could easily fit two sofas, a television and a small dining room table in there. The kitchen had white counters with pine-coloured tops and was less modern than the previous building. It was more homely. The bedroom was fairly small, though, and that worried me. I liked clothes and if designers were going to keep sending me freebies, I needed room for a wardrobe. I thanked Joan and headed out, Matt at my side.

'Didn't like that one either?' He said.

'Sorry, you must be fed up of my fussing.'

'Not at all.' He replied, although I was sure that he was contracted to say that.

The next viewing wasn't far away, which was lucky as we were running late. My stomach growled, but I ignored it. We had a two hour gap after this viewing, which was long enough to stop for food. The next property was in Little Venice, a short walk from Warwick Avenue. It was a one bedroom apartment, inside a white building which was blocked off from the outside by a black, iron fence and gate.

'Miss May, a pleasure to meet you.' Bernard, the landlord greeted us, shaking both of our hands. He acted unphased by my bodyguard. 'I assure you, you are going to love my property here.' He said with a friendly smile. He pulled out a key and unlocked the gate carefully, holding it open for Matt and I as we slipped inside. He closed it behind him and then nodded to the black front door in front of us. 'Shall we?' He led the way to the door, up three small steps. 'As you can see, the building is very secure. There is a code to get in.' He typed in the code. 'And there's a camera feature for anyone pressing your buzzer on the gate.' We followed him through the door. 'The property is on the top floor, but there is a lift available.'

'We can use the stairs.' I said with a smile and he led us up three flights of stairs.

'The view is worth it, trust me.' He grinned. We reached apartment 3a and he pulled out his keyring, unlocking the two locks on the door. 'After you.' I walked inside, finding myself in a cream-carpeted hallway with white walls. 'If we go to the left first.'

I walked around to the left, onto the polished wooden flooring of the reception room. It was spacious, more than enough room for living room furniture. I turned around and spotted the kitchen too, white counters with black worktops and a space where the white painted walls were covered with blue floral Cath Kidston-style wallpaper to form a feature wall. 'It's lovely.'

'It's newly decorated.' Bernard explained. 'Only been done up in the last few months and no one has lived here yet. I'm keen to get someone moved in as soon as possible. Now this is the reception room and it's large enough for entertaining as you can see. You'll fit in at least two sofas and a dining table for sure.' He nodded at the large, vintage-framed mirror on the wall. 'That can be removed if needed too. Now if you follow me, I can show you the extra entertaining space, which I'm sure you'll love.'

He walked over to the outside wall, unlocking a patio door tucked into an alcove. I followed him through the door and gasped; a roof terrace. The walls had been freshly painted white and the decking had clearly been cleaned. The terrace was fairly big and overlooked the communal gardens below. I pictured myself sat outside with Leanne and Adrianna in the summer, sipping wine and spying on people. Or with Ed, watching the sunset. 'This is lovely.'

'Isn't it just?' Bernard smiled. 'You could have plants up here and make it into a lovely garden to entertain guests in.'

'Absolutely.' I nodded in agreement.

'Come on, I'll show you the bedroom and bathroom.'

I hardly needed to be shown the large bedroom with built-in wardrobes covering one wall, or the white updated bathroom with mosaic walls and flooring. I was sold. 'When can I move in?' I asked Bernard, completely serious.

His mouth turned upwards into an even bigger smile. 'Well Miss May, you'll have to fill out this paperwork.' He passed me some piles of paper. 'And I'll need to speak to your previous landlord, but you can move in on Friday if you can send over your deposit and rent tomorrow?'

'Absolutely.' I smiled and he shook my hand. 'I look forward to hearing from you.'

I didn't hesitate. The next day, I read the paperwork and faxed it over to Bernard, with a print-out of my bank transfer so that he could see I'd sent it over. Then, on Friday, I met him outside the property to collect my keys and prepare the move-in process, Ed at my side. By Sunday afternoon, I was completely satisfied, and exhausted. Furniture had started to arrive on Friday and had all been delivered by Saturday evening. I'd spent all of Sunday organising and unpacking some of my belongings from Ed's apartment, until I was completely satisfied. I walked through my new apartment, admiring the handiwork as Ed headed to Tesco Express to pick us up some dinner.

The reception room now consisted of a light blue corner sofa bed, decorated with cream and light grey cushions and facing a shabby chic TV unit, which was housing my small flatscreen television. Three vintage suitcases I'd picked up from Camden sat on one side, piled up with a small lamp on top, and a shabby chic bookcase on the other. There was a white faux sheepkin rug in the middle of the floor, matching the throw draped across the sofa. The kitchen was decorated with a Cath Kidston theme, from the blue annd white polka dot kettle and toaster to the Cath Kidston tea towels and fridge magnets. I had a small, round shabby chic dining table with four wooden matching chairs tucked in the corner of the kitchen, fitting there perfectly.

The bathroom had stayed the same, although the bedroom I'd made more exciting. I'd continued the shabby chic theme with a white wooden-framed bed, decorated with blue bunting on the end. I'd hung a row of fairylights across the wall behind my bed, from one side to the other, and I'd pegged some photos I'd printed that morning to it. I had white beside tables either side and I'd just dressed my bed with a blue patchwork duvet and a soft white throw draped across it with matching white cushions.

My favourite part, however, was the rooftop terrace. I'd spent most of my Sunday making it perfect and I knew I would get a lot of use out of it. Against two of the walls was a corner sofa made from old pallets. I'd ordered it online and it had arrived in pieces that morning, complete with cream seat pads. I'd ordered a matching corner table to go with it. Then I'd ordered a small patio table set. I'd picked up some potted plants, scattering them around and some solar-powered fairylights. In the dark, now, it looked wonderful. I picked up the plastic sheeting, covering the sofa and its cushions to protect it from the damp sky and I looked onto the city below, shuddering at the cool temperature. It was January 24th and I knew that soon the winter would be over. My phone buzzed, so I pulled it out of my pocket.

 _How's your new home? Enjoy your first night in it. Mum xx_

 _Wonderful. I'll send you some pictures tomorrow. I love you xxx_

I looked at the lights turning off around the city and hoped that whoever had burnt away my memories wasn't going to find me here.


	12. Texts

'And cut!' The director of my Skyscraper music video called on Tuesday. 'Quick outfit change for Lucy. We need to wrap this today if the single is going to be released on Sunday.'

'We need to get to work. You've not been nominated for British Breakthrough at the Brits but there's still time for them to invite you to perform.' Eric told me and I felt like I'd been slapped in the face.

We'd been filming my video since 6am and frankly, I was pleased I didn't have Tyger or some other cocky idiot as my love interest. It was just me in the video, which was fine, but Eric was extra-tense. He'd wanted me to be nominated for the Brit awards, but I'd lost out to Jess Glynne and a few 'good-looking' male artists and the 'new' One Direction. Ed, on the other hand, had recieved nominations for Best British Male, Best Single and Best Music Video. And then Taylor had recieved a nomination for best Female International Artist. This meant that performing or not, I'd be there. However, performing or getting nominated had been the least of my concerns. I was mourning over the loss of my flat for goodness sake. And everytime I was photographed, paparazzi kept pointing this out.

I changed into my third outfit of the day, grateful to have Amanda with me. 'I'm so glad you're here.' I told her.

'You're looking tired. Still having trouble sleeping?' Her eyes were filled with concern.

I nodded. 'I know I'm safe and no one knows where I live, but I keep worrying that they're going to find me and burn my new place down. And it's hard settling into somewhere new I've got to call home.'

'Maybe you need to listen to your own lyrics.' She told me. 'And you should have a housewarming party. Maybe if it's filled with people you love then it might feel more liek home?'

I thought for a moment. 'That's not a bad idea.'

'Lucy! There's no time to waste!'

I sighed as Amanda smoothed down my flowing white dress. 'Coming!'

'How was your day?' Ed asked as I passed him his plate of spaghetti bolognese that evening.

'Stressful.' I replied, honestly. 'You know Eric.'

Ed frowned. 'He shouldn't be piling on this much pressure, especially with what you've been through lately.'

'As long as he gets his way, he doesn't care.' I sighed.

Ed reached forward and kissed me softly on the forehead. 'Well I care.'

'He's mad at me for now getting nominated at the Brits.'

'You released your first single one month before the nominations came out. It would have been pretty hard to get nominated. Just wait for the other award shows and you'll be nominated, I'm sure of it.' He gave me a proud smile. 'Oh, I forgot to say, Taylor's over for a while. She landed today so I'm sure she'll want to catch up soon.'

'I can invite her to the housewarming party.'

'Housewarming party?'

'I've decided I'm going to have one this weekend.' I told him. 'It might make this place feel more like home.'

'You know what else might?' He ran his hand up my thigh, an eyebrow raised.

That was the night we broke my bed in.

'Well hey there stranger.' A familiar voice said at the end of the phoneline as I left my album art photoshoot, guarded by Matt, the next day.

'Taylor! How are you?' I asked with a smile, pulling my bag tighter over my shoulder.

'I'm great, I love London. Now how are _you_?'

'I'm getting there.' I replied, honestly. 'It'll just take time, you know?'

'Absolutely. Which is why you are going to have the greatest party ever on Saturday.'

'Well I was just thinking simple. Nibbles and drinks.'

'Why don't you have a theme?' She suggested and I knew how good Taylor was at planning parties. Maybe she was right.

'Like what?'

'Are you free? I'll come over, but Ed's not allowed. It's time for a girls night in. I'll bring wine.'

'I'm sorry to bail tonight. Taylor wants a girl's night.' I said to Ed as I got home and locked the front door behind me.

'I've hogged you the past few weeks, I understand.' He said on the end of the line. 'It's nice you girls are getting on so well.'

Truth be told, I was nervous. I'd not hung out with Taylor by ourselves and we'd only hung out once; at her party on New Year's Eve. I quickly tidied up the kitchen, filling the dishwasher and making sure the place was presentable. Taylor's place was huge. She'd probably be disappointed with my small one-bedroom apartment. The gate downstairs buzzed, so I let Taylor in after checking it was her on the camera. Two minutes later, she was knocking on my door.

'Hey.' She said as I answered, pulling me into a big hug. 'It's so good to see you.'

'And you.' I replied, returning the smile. 'Come on in.'

'This place is so cute!' She said, after I'd given her a quick tour. I wasn't sure if she meant cute as in homely or cute as in small. 'And that rooftop terrace is incredible.'

'It is, isn't it?' I smiled.

'Absolutely.' She said, sipping her wine. 'So let's talk this party on Saturday. I've got a great idea.'

'You have?'

'Sure! You love the fifties stuff, right?' She nodded at the Audrey Hepburn 'Roman Holiday' movie poster hung up on the wall. I'd picked it up in Camden the previous day.

'Yep.' I replied, taking a sip of my own glass. The wine was delicious, whatever it was. I looked at the label and realised I'd never heard of it. It looked pretty expensive too.

'So let's have a 1950s party! We can hang records everywhere and make milkshakes, some alcoholic. The girls can wear 50s dresses and pin-up outfits and the guys can wear suits or leather jackets. It would be awesome!'

'It would!' I nodded in agreement.

'There's a few party stores in Camden if I remember. Let's head there tomorrow and pick up decorations _and_ outfits. Is your schedule free?'

'All day.'

'Perfect.'

Hanging out with Taylor was like having an extra best friend. We hardly knew each other, yet we had so much in common. Her private car picked me up that Thursday morning and we headed straight to Camden, in our jeans, warm coats and sunglasses to conceal our identities, although I wasn't sure how long that would last for.

'So you and Ed still going strong?' She asked once we had been dropped off in Camden. We walked down the busy street, moving in and out of the crowds unnoticed.

'We are.' I smiled, unable to help myself.

'You guys are a _very_ cute couple.' She said, nudging my arm playfully.

'So are you and Adam.'

'Yes we are.' She nodded in agreement, before pulling me into a shop. 'So we're looking for rock and roll decorations.. we won't get any vinyl.. we'll get that super cheap in the market. But music notes, sundae glasses, striped straws... ooh, I can see some!'

Whilst we shopped, I sent a text around to all my guests, making sure they knew what the theme was going to be. Surprisingly they seemed quite happy with it. After spending the morning shopping for decorations and our outfits, Taylor decided we'd go for Afternoon Tea in her favourite place. The Shepherds Bush hotel was, of course, in Shepherds Bush. The four-star hotel had large glass panelled windows and was the former BBC officers and recording studios.

'Hello, Miss Swift.' The receptionist greeted my friend with a smile as we walked into the building. 'Are you after a room?'

'Not this time thank you, Paulo.' Taylor said, pushing her sunglasses onto her head. I did the same. 'My friend Lucy and I have actually been busy shopping and we'd really like an afternoon tea as yours are my favourite.'

'Absolutely.' Paulo smiled. 'You head on up to the first floor and it'll all be sorted to you.'

The first floor consisted of a small restaurant area, with cosy booths decorated with purple and yellow spotted cushions. The waitress showed us straight to a table, which was decorated with vinyl artwork and vinyl records for placemats. She brought us each a metallic pink tea cup and saucer, each with a matching spoon on the side. 'Your tea will be ready in four minutes.' She said, before disappearing.

'This is so cool!' I grinned, admiring the table decor.

'I know.' Taylor smiled. 'It's the only place in London where you can have an afternoon tea at midnight. Great when you've just finished a show.'

'Amazing!' I said, looking around. A teenage girl and her mum gawped at us with recognition, but Taylor seemed unphased. 'Adam's welcome to come on Saturday if he's free.' I said to my friend, turning back to face her.

'His tour doesn't finish for another week.' She pouted. 'Otherwise he'd definitely come. Maybe the four of us could hang out sometime though? I'm guessing you'll be at the Brits?'

'I think so. If my manager stops sulking. He wanted me to be nominated.'

'It's not easy getting nominated.' She told me. 'So don't let it get to you. You're still a newcomer. You'll definitely get there, you've just got to give it time.'

'T-Rex Tea, Miss Swift and Miss May.' The waitress said, pouring us each a cup. 'Your food will be out shortly.'

I sipped at the tea. 'Mmm this is the best tea I've ever had, that's for sure.'

Taylor smiled beside me. 'It is, isn't it? I tried to make my own back in Nashville but I couldn't get it quite right. Back to what you were saying though, you _have_ to come to the Brits. I'm going with all the girls and we're going to the afterparty. You have to join us.'

'Okay.' I smiled. 'I'll be there.'

'Good! Your manager can't get mad at you for going, it's great publicity.'

'He's just always grumpy.' I told her, rolling my eyes. 'It's a shame I can't share Leon with Ed.'

'Leon's great.' Taylor nodded. 'But not everyone in the industry is, I'm afraid. Some are just there for the money.'

The waitress returned with a cupcake stand filled with goodies and I gawped, unable to help myself. Salmon and cream cheese sandwiches, mini cheeseburgers, mini wraps, cheese melt sandwiches, 'rolling' scones, nutella burgers, lemon cake, mini cheesecake and macaroons. I was in heaven. 'Here you are.'

'This is incredible.' I said, pulling out my phone and taking a photo.

'Would you like me to take a photo of the two of you?' The waitress offered and I nodded, passing her the camera. We posed together with our tea and she took a few snaps. 'There you are! Enjoy!'

'They're good photos.' Taylor said, when we had finished eating and I was completely stuffed. I flicked through the photos, choosing the best one. 'Make sure you upload one and then I'll steal it off you.'

I smiled, uploading the picture to Instagram;

 _Afternoon tea with the fabulous taylorswift . A little taste of what's to come this weekend._

It certainly was.

Ed was working on Saturday. Some Television interview somewhere, which meant he was going to be a few minutes late to the party. Until lunchtime, I stayed in my pyjamas as I hoovered and cleaned the house, making sure it was pristine for my party. After my shower, I threw on my underwear and dressing gown and set to work with the decorating. I hung vinyl records tastefully around the living room and I set up the mini jukebox CD player on the kitchen counter. I blew up balloons, leaving them across the floor and moved the sofa forward to create a photobooth behind it, filled with all kinds of crazy props. I added some lanterns to my roof terrace, as we were bound to be using it, and then I threw some more fairylights around the living room. When I was satisfied, I prepared all of the food before taking a nap. I was woken up by my buzzer half an hour later.

'Hello?' I said, trying to sound as if I hadn't just woken up.

'Hi, it's Amanda.'

'You're a few hours early.'

'I thought you might want some help getting ready?'

'Can't complain with that.' I buzzed her in and pulled my robe tighter around myself. Within minutes, she was knocking on my front door. I let her in and she was unphased by my current look; a dressing gown. It was something she was used to seeing me in.

'This is nice.' She smiled, looking around nosily. 'Really nice. I bet it's not cheap.'

'It's reasonable considering it's London.' I replied, honestly. 'It's actually the cheapest place I looked at.'

'It's really quite spacious.' She said. 'Now put on some music and let's get all dolled up.'

We finished getting ready half an hour before the party was due to start, which meant I had time to lay out all of the food on the table. Before heading to the kitchen, I stood back and looked in the mirror. Amanda was _great_ at retro hair and make-up. My hair had been curled into Hollywood glamour curls, pinned back on one side by a red flower. My make-up channelled fifties with winged eyeliner and bright red lips, which Amanda had assured me were 'kiss proof.' I wore a nautical wiggle dress; a navy high-waisted tight-fitting skirt secured with a white belt and then a red and white striped halterneck top. It made my figure look incredible, especially with my red heels.

'A pin up dream.' Amanda winked from behind me in her Sandy from Grease outfit; a skin-tight off-the-shoulder jumpsuit, heels and very big hair.

The doorbell buzzed and I frowned. 'Whoever that is, they're early.' I walked into the hallway and answered it. 'Hello?'

'Luce!' Came Leanne's voice down the line. 'I know we're early but it was either get a train to arrive early or one to arrive an hour late. And you know us, we like being early.'

'Come on up!'

I waited by the door for the knock, before opening it and pulling two of my best friends into the biggest hug ever. 'I've missed you two!'

'So it seems!' Adriana choked.

'Come on in!'

They walked in, giving me the chance to admire their outfits. Leanne was channelling Rosie the Riveter with her hair in a loose bun, fixed with a headscarf and her navy button-down playsuit secured with a white belt. Adriana had gone for an updo and headscarf too, except she was wearing red cropped trousers and a white cropped shirt, tied up under the waist, decorated with tiny red polkadots.

'You two look lovely!' I grinned.

'Not too bad yourself.' Leanne winked. She looked over my shoulder and I heard footsteps behind me.

'Leanne, Adriana, this is Amanda, my friend and stylist. Amanda, this is Leanne and Adriana.' I said, introducing them to each other.

'Ah, so you're the reason she always looks so good when she's in London.' Leanne joked.

'Thanks for that, babe.' I said, sarcastically. I walked past her and into the kitchen. 'Girls, put your overnight bags in the bedroom and come and help me with the food.'

Everyone else turned up just after seven, which allowed me just enough time to lay the food out on the table and turn on the 1950s music. My whole band arrived, Daisy dressed as a pink lady and Jesse and Jake as T-birds. Then Taylor arrived, in a red and white polka-dot pin up dress with a fishtail bottom. And then finally, Ed turned up, in black jeans, a white t-shirt and a leather jacket.

His eyes widened when I opened the door. _What are you trying to do to me?_

 _Does it look okay?_

 _Okay? I want to take you back to my place, does that sound okay?_

A smile creeped onto my lips and I gave him a gentle kiss, before whispering, 'I can't really leave my own party. Let's save that for later.'

'I can't believe Taylor Swift is at _your_ party!' Leanne whispered later that evening as we stood on the terrace, wrapped in blankets and admiring the view. Inside, everyone else was dancing and having a great time. The party was proving a huge success.

'I know, it's completely insane.' I agreed, shaking my head in disbelief. 'This whole thing is.'

'Have the police found out who it was yet?'

'No.' I frowned, looking over my shoulder at Adriana dancing with Amanda.

'I hope they find out soon. You must be on edge.'

'I am a lot of the time.' I sighed. 'But I've got my security guard and then they don't know where I live now. I've just got to keep it that way.'

'It's midnight!' Taylor squealed, excitedly, appearing on the roof terrace behind us. 'Happy Skyscraper day!'

I laughed. 'Thanks.'

'Come on, we've all got to order it on iTunes.'

Leanne gave my shoulder a squeeze. 'Let's head on in and order your second single, superstar.'

'Did you have a good time?' Ed asked as I climbed into bed beside him early on Sunday morning. Adriana and Leanne were on the sofa bed in the living room and everyone else had gone.

I nestled up to him and he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer. 'It was good, wasn't it?'

'Of course. Everyone had a great time.' He smiled, kissing my nose gently. 'But did you?'

'Yeah.' I replied. 'I did.'

'Does it feel more like home?'

'I think so... it's just a big change from Brighton, you know?'

'It is.' He nodded.

'And I miss being by the sea.' I sighed. 'I've always been by the sea.' I looked over at Ed and wondered if he was listening. He seemed distracted somehow. 'What's wrong?'

He bit his lip. 'I'm going to Australia.'

'Well that will be fun.' I said with a reassuring smile.

'It's for a month. I'm doing some promotion and a few concerts and I've got this tiny part in Home and Away which is just crazy.'

A month? My heart sank a little. 'When are you going?'

'Tuesday.'

' _This_ Tuesday?'

'I should have told you.' He said, his eyes sad. 'But I didn't want to go, what with everything that's happened recently. Leon said it would cost far too much to cancel everything and then we tried to talk to Eric about you coming too but he wants you here for your album launch.' How long had he known? Why hadn't he told me? It made me feel sad. And then I realised that not seeing him for a month... him being completely on the other side of the world... it was going to be awful. 'Please say something.' He whispered, his eyes locking with mine.

'I'm going to miss you.' Was all I could say.

Skyscraper didn't reach Number 1 on Sunday. Instead, it entered the charts at number 10 and I knew Eric was somehow going to take it out on me. On Monday, I wanted to call in sick so that I could spend my last day with Ed for a month, but I knew that it wouldn't be possible. My day was busy; I performed on This Morning that morning, then there was a BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge performance at lunchtime and then finally, The Alan Titchmarsh Show. Ed and I had dinner at his place that night and I picked up Graham, as he was going to be staying with me for the next month at my apartment. On Tuesday morning, Ed kissed me goodbye and left my apartment for Australia.

'So we're only at number 10.' Eric said when I got into his office that morning. The rest of the team were there as usual, Darren rolling his eyes behind Eric's head.

'But it was only released on Sunday.' Jamie-Lee said, inputing something into her iPad. 'And the video isn't released until this afternoon. That'll help. Lucy could be number 1 by Sunday.'

'Could be? She _will_ be. This week we are working extra hard. What have you got for us?' Eric asked Jamie-Lee as my schedule appeared on-screen. It was busy enough to make my eyes hurt.

'Well we've got the album photoshoot this afternoon.' Jamie-Lee said. 'And then tomorrow there's the signing at HMV. That should help as people have to buy copies of the single to get them signed.'

'What do we have tomorrow evening?' Eric asked.

'Nothing.' Jamie-Lee replied. 'It's a free evening.'

'Is there something we can book in?'

'I'm supposed to be having dinner with Taylor.' I butted in, wishing he wouldn't book up all of my freedom.

He raised his eyebrows. 'We are trying to get you to number 1 here. I think that's more important than a dinner date.'

'Actually, that could be some good publicity.' Jamie-Lee said, shooting me a reassuring smile. 'We could give paparazzi a call.'

'Fine.' Eric said, irritated.

'And Thursday and Friday are completely booked with more interviews, both magazine and television.'

'I feel like there's not enough going on with social media.' Eric said, looking at Darren. 'Ideas?'

'Well the website is up and running and hits are pretty good this week.' Darren said, bringing the website up onto the projector screen. 'And the weekly covers are doing okay on Youtube.'

'Let's take this up a notch.' Eric said, cracking his knuckles. 'Vlogs. Behind the scenes of Lucy May.'

'A weekly Vlog could work, sure.' Darren nodded.

'Good. We're done here. Darren, get hold of a camera crew. We need them at the shoot today.' He looked over at me. 'I'll send a car for you at 1pm sharpish. Don't be late.'

Graham was pleased to see me when I got home for lunch. I'd decided to opt for a chicken salad as I knew Eric would kill me if I turned up for my photoshoot looking bloated. I sat down with my lunch and Graham purred as he rubbed his head against my ankle. He was probably going to miss Ed too. The Skype ringtone came up on my computer and I answered it, surprised my cousin was calling me when it was only 8am over there.

'Hey cuz!' She said, cheerfully, from the other end of the line.

'Hey.' I replied, swallowing my last mouthful. I chopped up the chicken I'd saved for Graham and placed the plate on the floor for him.

'How's life?'

'Hectic.' I sighed. 'What about with you?'

'Not too bad, but work is pretty busy. The boss wants to know when I can get an exclusive with Lucy May!'

'You'll have to go through Jamie-Lee and Eric.' I replied. 'My manager is so controlling.' Graham meowed from by my feet.

'Did you get a cat?'

'Oh, no, it's Graham. Ed's cat.' I picked up the meowing kitty and he rubbed his head against my face.

'Awh he's so cute!'

My door buzzed and I cursed under my breath. 'I'm sorry, but I've got to get off to my photoshoot. I'll Skype you later?'

'Yeah, sure.'

I grabbed my handbag and keys and headed out, carefully shutting the door behind me. An hour later, and my face was being covered in make-up by Amanda as an unfamiliar hairdresser straightened my hair.

'How are we doing?' Eric asked, appearing in the dressing room and ruining my catch up with Amanda as she carefully applied some false eyelashes to my eyelids. I groaned, inwardly, no longer in my happy place.

'Nearly done.' Amanda replied in a sing-song voice.

'Good. Lucy, we've added something to tomorrow's schedule.'

I sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep calm. 'Have _we_?'

'Tomorrow morning you're meeting with Abel Tesfaye.'

'Sorry, who?'

'The Weeknd. He's asked if you would be interested in dueting with him for his new song. I've said that you definitely would, especially as it's for the new Fifty Shades film set to be released at the end of next month.'

I groaned inwardly again. I hated Fifty Shades of Grey. I just wanted to punch 'Mr Grey.' Biggest dickhead ever. 'Erm, okay?'

'I trust you won't screw it up. It's a big opportunity for you.' Eric said and then he was gone, leaving me blinking and feeling bitter.

'I can't believe he just spoke to you like that.' My hair stylist said, in shock, as she spritzed my hair with product.

'He always does.' Amanda replied, shaking her head. She held up a dress bag. 'Now let's get you dressed before he gets any grumpier. If that's possible.'

My first outfit was a black bandage bodycon mini dress, which only just covered my butt. It was flattering, but I wouldn't go out in it. I'd spend the whole time pulling it down again, worried I was flashing my underwear to the world. I did as I was told, posing against a wall and on a chair, and so on, desperate to get the photoshoot over with and be away from Eric and his judging eyes. Could Warner have not found me a nicer manager? Like Leon?

'Okay, outfit change!' The photographer said with a thumbs up. I was ushered back to the dressing room, where Amanda looked nervous.

'Here.' She said, passing me a dress bag.

I changed in the privacy of the bathroom and frowned. It was just an off-the-shoulder black jumper. 'Er, Amanda, did you forget to give me the leggings?' I called through the toilet door and suddenly I knew why she looked nervous. She'd not been happy with the outfit choice either. I spotted the frilly, lace knickers on the hanger and realised that _those_ were my bottoms. My stomach lurched and I felt nervous. Lingerie? Really? I didn't _want_ people to see me in my lingerie. That was something for when Ed and I were alone together. I ran a hand through my hair, nervously, and jumped at the sound of knocking on the door.

'We've not got all day!' Eric's irritated voice said from the other side of the door.

'I'm not wearing this.' I replied, my voice cracking as I said it.

'Yes you are, _darling._ I'm trying to make you big and we need to apply to a wide audience.'

'What? Perverts?!'

'If you don't wear it then I'm going to have to speak to Warner about you being uncooperative and I can tell you now, you're not making fifteen grand a day like your boyfriend. You won't be a big loss to the label.'

It was like I'd just been punched in the stomach, but I knew he was right. He had the power to get rid of me and, so early into my career, I wasn't a big loss for Warner Records. I'd not made them much money at all. Yet. I changed into the french knickers, feeling winded, and I opened the door, pulling my jumper down to cover my bum. Eric looked at me without saying anything and I followed him silently back to the photoshoot, doing as I was told.

Abel, aka The Weeknd, greeted me with a smile and a shake of the hand when I met him at Select Recording Studios the following morning, dressed in a black off-the-shoulder jumpsuit. 'It's great to meet you.' He said with a smile in his Canadian accent.

'You too.' I replied, shyly as Eric's words echoed in my head; _I trust you won't screw it up._

'Would you like to hear the song? I can sing it and play the backing so you can see what you think.'

It didn't matter what I thought. I had to agree to do it or Eric would drop me. It was a song about sex, of course. It had to be; it was going to be the song for the new Fifty Shades of Grey film.

'Well what do you think? Fancy giving it a go?' He asked, looking hopeful.

'Sure.' I replied, faking my best smile.

'Great.' He passed me over the sheet of music and the lyrics. 'Let's see what you've got.'

The music started up and I took a deep breath. _'Tell me something I need to know_

 _Then take my breath and never let it go_

 _If you just let me invade your space_

 _I'll take the pleasure, take it with the pain_

 _And if in the moment I bite my lip_

 _Baby, in that moment you'll know this is_

 _Something bigger than us and beyond bliss_

 _Give me a reason to believe it_

 _'Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder.'_

The Weeknd loved how I made the song my own and he agreed to call Eric with the details for the recording in the studio the following week. I'd left with a backing CD to learn the full song and with Abel's number. Then I'd headed straight to the signing, despite my growling stomach's protests.

'Can we get you anything Miss May?' Asked a HMV worker when I arrived at the store.

A full English Breakfast please. 'A bottle of water would be great.' I said with a friendly smile. Eric nodded from beside me, whilst he tapped away on his phone.

'Not a problem.' The HMV worker said, grabbing a bottle of water from a mini-fridge and passing it my way. 'Let me know if you need anything else.'

'Hi Miss May, I'm Dion, the manager of the store.' The HMV Oxford Street Manager shook my hand. 'I just need to run through how a few things are going to work here.'

'Okay.' I nodded, signalling for him to continue.

'There's _a lot_ of fans outside. Some have been out here for most of the day so I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that there's a good turn out.' He said with a confident smile. 'The first fifty are guaranteed and have wristbands. After that, it's time dependent. One photo is fine with their signed single but no more. Our security guards will be strict with people on that. Are there any questions?'

'Nope.'

'Great then we'll get started. If you could follow me.'

I took a sip of the water and followed Dion onto the shop floor. Screams filled the room and people called my name as I took my seat in front of the HMV backdrop. I waved as I pulled my chair under the table and then the first fans were there; two twins who looked around fifteen.

'Oh my god, this is so cool!' One said as they passed me their physical copies of my single. I looked up and spotted Lewis, my cameraman, filming our encounter for my Vlog.

'Hey girls, what are your names?' I asked with a friendly smile.

'I'm Rachael and this is Alice.' The other one said. I scribbled personal messages on their singles and then posed for a few pictures.

The rest of the week flew by and soon it was Sunday, a much-needed day off. I spent the day on the sofa, in my pyjamas, with Graham for company. He purred as I scratched behind his ears, as I watched back the first edit for my Vlog Darren had sent me. It was alright, apart from the photoshoot where I'd had to wear a jumper and french knickers. Luckily, you couldn't see my bum at any point but I assumed that this had probably been edited out, thankfully. My Skype Dial sounded and I closed Windows Media Player, accepting the Video Call from Ed.

'Hey beautiful.' He said, cheerily, and Graham looked up, recognising the voice.

'Beautiful?' I said with a raised eyebrow. I'd been sat in my Star Wars pyjamas all day and my hair was in a loose bun on top of my head. 'What time is it over there?'

'Eight AM. Ten hours difference, remember?' He teased. 'And yes, beautiful.'

'I miss you.' I pouted.

'I miss you too.' He said with a frown. 'At least it makes for some good new songs though right?'

'I guess.' I sighed.

'I'll be home soon beautiful. It won't be long. I promise.'

The next week was another busy one, with preparations for the album coming together and I was busy recording with The Weeknd for the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack. What was weird, though, was that I only recieved the odd text from Ed. Then, two weeks after he had left, I recieved a text that was enough to break my heart in two.

 _We need to talk._


	13. Heartache

_We need to talk._

A short text, enough to make my heart break into a million pieces. No kisses, so it wasn't good. I felt sick as the caller ID on my phone showed me that Ed was ringing me. I hesitated before answering.

'Hello.' My voice croaked as my heart hammered against my chest. I'd been there before. I knew what was coming.

'Hey.' He said, sounding nervous and I couldn't help that he hadn't added _beautiful_ to his greeting like he normally did. 'You okay?'

'Yes.' I lied. 'You?'

'Sort of.' He paused for a moment, as if unsure of what to say. A glance at the clock showed me that it was only five, which meant it was two AM over there. What a time to call. 'Lucy.. we... need to break up.'

Tears filled my eyes and burned them as I dared to ask the question filling my head. 'Why?'

'We're just... not right for... each other.' He sounded uncertain. 'Take care, okay? And I'll get Graham when I'm back.'

Then he was gone. I don't know how long I sat curled up in a ball, letting the tears flood, but I sure as hell didn't want to face my friend who was downstairs, pressing the buzzer repetitively. My phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times. But I didn't answer. I called in sick the next day and then the voicemail came from Amanda, who was worried about me. Taylor had been in contact with her and she'd heard what had happened. They wanted to see me.

The news finally sank in when I woke up on Thursday and I realised I had to talk to someone. Realising Willow would still be asleep, I turned to my other best friend.

'Luce? I've been messaging you for days. I was starting to worry that you'd fallen off the face of the earth!' She said dramatically in the reciever, making a small smile appear on my lips.

'Ed and I broke up.' I replied, my voice hoarse.

'What?!' She gasped. 'Oh my god, what happened?!'

'I don't know.' I said, sadly. 'He ended it on Tuesday.' I blinked back the tears trying to make an appearance again.

'But he was crazy about you.' She sighed. 'Eurgh, I'm going to kill him. Look, I know Ad has work tonight but I don't. I'm coming up to see you and we're having a girls night. And don't say no because I will break down your door if I have to.'

'Okay.' I laughed. 'Call me when you're in London.'

Graham meowed as I hung up the phone and looked over at him, lounging on my laptop. I scooped him off, wishing he wasn't a constant reminder of Ed. But what could I do? I couldn't just take him back to the apartment and leave him there. I logged into my Twitter account and frowned. Why was #ledisover a trending topic? Without thinking, I clicked on the tag and then my heart shattered more than it already had. There, on the newsfeed, was a picture of Ed kissing Elizabeth Dudley, a beautiful well-known Australian model. On the lips. At a party. Every magazine and social media twitter account had tweeted it with the caption; Ed's been a naughty boy.

I let out a growl, feeling angry, and Graham hurried away looking startled. How _dare_ he? I'd been cheated on before. I'd been screwed about. And he promised not to break my heart. And he'd done it in the worst way possible. The party had taken place in Sydney on Monday night, the article had said, and was raising money for teens with cancer. And an unknown source had said they had left the party together. I threw the picture frame containing a picture of us together on New Years Eve onto the floor and I cursed as fresh blood came out of my hand, cut from broken glass. I sank onto the carpet, holding my hand over my black leggings as one thought filled my mind; he was supposed to be my soulfinder.

My phone buzzed beside me. Once. Twice. Three times. On the fourth phonecall, I answered it, feeling fed up. 'Hello?' I said, my voice broken.

'Lucy, I've been trying to get hold of you since Tuesday!' Taylor said on the phone. 'How are you doing? Ed said you'd broken up and then I saw the paper today and oh my god I'm going to _kill_ him for doing this to you.'

'Was I not good enough?' I blubbed, feeling like the ugliest girl in the world.

'Lu, you were the _best_ thing that's ever happened to him. He's really screwed up, really fucked up.' She said and her swearing surprised me. 'Look, I'm round the corner, I'll be with you in five, but this time please don't leave me stood outside looking like an idiot.'

True to her word, Taylor arrived five minutes later and she tutted at my blood-covered dress before grabbing my wounded hand and cleaning it under the sink. Truth be told, I was a mess and so was my lovely apartment. After covering my hand with a plaster, Taylor cleaned up the broken photo-frame, fed Graham and loaded up my dishwasher, wiping down the surfaces. Then she set to work in my bedroom, tidying it up and even changing the bedding whilst I had a shower and got changed into the leggings and over-sized jumper she'd picked out for me. When I finished drying my hair, I walked into the kitchen, where she was sat with two cups of tea on the table.

'Now you're ready to talk.' She told me with a small smile.

'I don't know what to say.' I whispered. 'I just feel so numb.'

'I know.' She said, pulling me into a hug as the tears escaped and I poured my heart out to her.

After lunch, I felt surprisingly better and I wasn't sure if it's because I'd let everything I'd bottled up slip away. That was when I had an idea. 'Think I can get a last minute appointment at the beauty salon?'

'You're Lucy May.' She laughed. 'I don't see why not.' She looked at me, suspiciously. 'Why? What are you planning?'

'I think it's time for a new start.' I said with a nervous smile. 'Are you coming?'

She squeezed my hand. 'Absolutely.'

Orchid Beauty Salon wasn't far from my flat and, luckily, they were happy to fit me into their Thursday afternoon schedule. I decided to splash out, having a facial to get rid of my red, blotchy skin, my eyebrows were waxed and shaped (ouch) and then I did something risky with my hair; blonde ombre was added to my curly brunette locks.

'It looks really good.' Taylor said with a smile as we sat, having our nails done, with Matt stood by, watching our surroundings carefully. 'Don't want to join us, Matt?' Taylor teased.

'I'm alright thank you Miss Swift.' He replied, casually. His eyes locked on the door as a familiar face walked in.

'Lea!' I squealed with excitement, pleased to see my best friend. I wanted to jump up and hug her, but my nails were in a mini-hand-sized jacuzzi.

'Loving the new look.' She smiled. 'Hey, Taylor.'

'Nice to see you again.' Taylor replied with a smile. 'Are you joining us?'

Leanne looked at her nails carefully. 'Eeek. I think I'm going to have to.'

One of the ladies working at the salon signalled to an empty seat beside me. 'Take a seat.'

'Just so you know, I am actually going to kill him.' Leanne said from beside me as our nails were given a French Manicure.

'Get in line.' Taylor said sternly. 'I wasn't taking sides until I saw that photo. I can't believe he was so stupid.'

'She's not even that pretty.' The beautician painting my nails said with a smile.

'Exactly!' Leanne said, dramatically. 'What the hell was he thinking, seriously?'

Tears brimmed in my eyes and I bit my tongue. 'Can we talk about something else?'

'Erm... Miss May, we have a problem.' Matt said from the doorway. 'Paparazzi are outside.'

'You can use the back?' The beautician offered.

'How do I look?' I asked my friends and they smiled.

'Great!' They chorused.

'Good, because we're going out the front.'

After settling up our bills, I double-checked my make-up in the mirror and admired my new hair. It looked incredible. Then I pulled on my coat and we were ready. The girls and I walked out first, with Matt closely behind us, and the cameras flashed wildly.

'Have you and Ed officially broken up, Lucy?'

'How are you holding up?'

'Is there anything you want to say to him?'

'Taylor, whose side are you on?'

'No comment.' I said, before shooting them a smile and disappearing into a cab. As we drove away from the salon, my eyes watered, filled with tears, and I was glad that I'd not shown them, or Ed, that I was miserable.

That night, we decided we'd go out for a girls night at Mahiki in Mayfair, somewhere that I'd never been but Taylor had said was great. She'd called and got us on the guestlist with ease, and I'd called Amanda and Daisy, desperate to have as much of my crew with me as possible. We'd got ready at my apartment, all opting to wear black. Daisy was wearing a black plunge-neck playsuit, Amanda was wearing a black mini-dress, Leanne a plunge-neck skater dress, Taylor was wearing black high-waisted shorts and a crop top and then there was me; my hair was still styled from the hairdressers and I wore smokey-eyed make-up with red lipstick. My outfit consisted of a lace bustier top, a black leather skater skirt, my leather jacket and my signature wedge shoe-boots.

'You look smokin'.' Amanda assured me with a wink as Taylor's private car took us to the club.

'Thanks.' I said with a real smile.

'We're going to take a lot of pictures tonight and dance the night away.' Taylor said, beaming. 'And then we'll all come back to yours for a sleepover!'

'As long as I make it in for work tomorrow afternoon. I've got to finish recording with The Weeknd.' I replied. I'd told Eric I'd be back to work, although he was now aware that I hadn't actually been ill and I was sure that he wasn't impressed.

'Easily done. You just might be a little tired.' Leanne winked. 'I've got work tomorrow anyway!'

'And I've got an outfit-fitting for the Brits. Please tell me you're still coming, Lu?' Taylor said.

'Well I'm supposed to be sat next to Ed.' I frowned.

'I'll give them a call for you. They can't expect you to stay in the same seat. Whoever was sat on the other side of me can swap.' She smiled.

'Thanks.'

'Right, we're here ladies.' Taylor's driver, Neil, said as he stopped the car. 'Looks like there's some paps here though, so be careful.' He got out of the car and walked around to open the door. He opened it carefully and Taylor gave us all a thumbs up before climbing out of the car. The flashes started and it was almost easy to miss the 'Mahiki' glowing sign as we climbed out beside her. Taylor reassuringly linked arms with me as the press asked questions and we walked in straight away, without giving our names.

Walking into Mahiki was like being in Hawaii, almost. The walls were covered with wooden caned-walls, the floor was wooden, and the booths had green seats or seats with a hawaiian print. One of the walls was showing a false sunset and the glowing orange and yellow lighting almost made it look real.

'Right girls, what am I getting you?' Taylor said with a smile as we headed over to the bar. 'And before you answer, it has to be a cocktail. They have the best cocktails here.'

Amanda's eyeballs popped out of her head. 'This place is expensive.'

'The night's on me.' Taylor said with a reassuring smile. 'So which cocktails are we going for?'

'Zombies?' Leanne replied.

'Sure.' She turned to the bartender. 'Five zombies please.'

'Right away Miss Swift. ' The bartender smiled and got to work straight away.

'You know, I really admire you.' Daisy said to me, pushing her new red bangs out of her eyes. 'You are so strong, so brave.'

It's a shame I didn't feel it inside. One glass of wine before coming out had been a rubbish liquid courage. Straight whiskey, however, might have worked better. 'Thank you.' I said, with just a smile. I looked around the room and noticed people glancing in our direction, more at me than Taylor. A few gave me a smile, one of sympathy. They knew what Ed had done. They weren't stupid.

Leanne was on her phone and I frowned at her. 'What are you doing? You're not going to be on there all night, are you?'

'Of course not.' She smiled, holding up the phone. 'Now everyone get into the photo. We're showing this idiot what he's missing.'

It was safe to say that I was feeling a little drunk two hours later, when we were dancing the night away and posing for pictures. A few other celebrities had turned up, including Pixie Lott, some of the cast of Made in Chelsea, and even Cheryl Cole, so Taylor wasn't the only famous person there. They said hello to us both, which surprised me, but that was it. Then a guy with messy light brown hair waved at me. It took me a moment to realise he was Nathan Jones, a British singer-songwriter.

'Isn't that Nathan Jones?' Leanne asked, reading my thoughts.

'He's been looking over here for the last fifteen minutes!' Taylor laughed. 'And I'm pretty sure he's not looking at me.'

I wrapped my arms around myself, self-consciously as Meghan Trainor's _All about that bass_ filled the room. 'Well he can't be looking at me.' I turned to Amanda, who was directly opposite me in our little circle we'd formed on the dancefloor. 'Maybe he's looking at you.'

'I wish.' She sighed, dramatically. 'Don't tell Alfie I said that.' She winked, referring to her boyfriend.

'You should go talk to him.' Taylor suggested with a smile.

'It's too soon.' I said, my heart aching as the image of Ed kissing that stupidly pretty model.

'I'm not talking about going out on a date. I mean, just talking to the guy.' She said, nudging me. 'Just get your confidence back up a bit, you know?'

'My confidence is fine.' I replied, but my four friends raised their eyebrows and I knew that they'd seen through the mask I'd been wearing all afternoon and evening.

'Do I have to dare you?' Leanne said, jokily. 'Because you never refuse dares.'

'In which case,' Taylor giggled, 'we all dare you to go over there and talk to Nathan Jones.'

'Eugh.' I groaned, poking Leanne. 'Fine.' I downed the remainder of my drink and passed the empty glass to Daisy.

I took a deep breath and walked over to where Nathan Jones ( **AN: He looks like Pete Bucknall!)** was perched at the bar, talking to some of his friends. I wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or not, but in person he was even more good-looking than in photos; his hair was scruffy yet sexy and his eyes were a bluey green colour. He had sexy stuble around his mouth and on his chin and his muscles were shown off by his tight, white rolled-up sleeves on his shirt.

'Hey.' I said, casually, with a smile, pretending I hadn't been admiring his muscles just moments before.

'Hey back.' He said, returning the smile. His friends looked over at him and one of them winked before they walked away, leaving us to it.

'I'm Lucy.' I said, holding out my hand and then realising just how cringey that was.

Either way, he still took it, even if he was smiling playfully. 'Nice to meet you. I'm Nathan.'

'Of course, you're currently my rival for number one in the charts.' I said, cheekily. He'd been on the top spot for four weeks and so far _Skyscraper_ hadn't budged his song _Budapest,_ much to Eric's annoyance.

'I'm afraid so.' He said with a grin. 'Are rivals allowed to buy each other drinks?'

'I don't see why not.' I shrugged.

'What are you having? Wait... let me guess.' He glanced over at my friends briefly. 'Girls night out... you're having Zombies, huh?'

'We are.' I said with a nod.

'What can I get you, Mr Jones?' The bartender asked, walking over to us.

'A whiskey and coke for me and a Mustique Fizz for the lovely lady.' Nathan said, giving me a wink. The bartender nodded and walked off to make our drinks.

'Mustique Fizz?' I raised my eyebrow.

'Wine, cane syrup and passion fruit sorbet. You'll love it, trust me.'

I wasn't sure I was in the mood to be trusting anyone at that moment of time, but I decided to give it a try. The bartender returned with our drinks, mine in a tall glass looking lovely and pink with a flower for decoration, and Nathan paid. I took a sip and it was like heaven. 'This is incredible.'

'I told you.' He said with a playful smile. He signalled to a small empty booth. 'Shall we?' I glanced over at my friends. 'You're welcome to go back to your girls, really. I don't want to be holding you hostage on a girl's night out.'

'They dared me to come and talk to you.' I said, honestly.

'Yikes, do I not look approachable?' He pretended to be offended but his facial expression showed that he was only teasing.

'Well let's just say I've not had the best few days thanks to someone of your gender.'

'I saw the papers.' He replied. 'But relax. I'm not after anything. Except maybe a duet, you know.' He winked. 'Still, I can't believe he could be so cruel. He's supposed to be one of the nice guys.'

'I thought so too.' I sighed, sipping at my drink.

'Well he's an idiot for letting you go.' He gave me a friendly smile, before, thankfully, changing the subject very quickly. 'So what are your plans for knocking me off the top spot this Sunday then?'

Nathan and I chatted happily for the next half an hour and then Taylor came over to me, giving me an apologetic smile. 'I'm sorry to interrupt but I think Leanne is going to be on the floor if she has anymore to drink, Luce.'

'Sounds about right.' I laughed. I turned to Nathan. 'It was lovely meeting you and thanks for the drink.'

'No problem.' He smiled. 'Good luck with the charts on Sunday.'

'Thanks.' I stood up as Taylor headed back to my friends, who were sat down talking to a giggly Leanne. I was drunk, but not _that_ drunk. I was still very aware of what was going on around me.

'Hey, can I grab your number?' Nathan asked, surprising me.

'Uhm sure.' I replied. He passed me his phone and I quickly inputed my number before handing it back. 'There you go.'

'Get home safe.'

'Thanks, you too.'

We all slept in my living room that night. I'd moved the mattress of the bed in there so three of us slept on the king-size mattress and the other two slept on the sofa bed. And, for the first time since the break-up, I slept like a baby with Graham nestled up to my stomach.

I woke up the next day to my phone ringing and I quickly answered it, walking into the bedroom, before I could make up my sleeping friends. 'Hello?' I said, glad that I hadn't lost my voice yet. I was going to need it.

'Hi Lucy, it's Jamie-Lee.' My publicist replied, chirpily. 'How _are_ you?' Her voice was sympathetic.

'I've been better.' I replied, honestly. 'But no use moping around.'

'Well you looked fabulous last night. They've posted pictures of you in most of the papers and magazines. Of you coming out of the salon and of you out on the town with Taylor last night. They're calling you the newest member of her crew.'

'Cool.' I replied, not sure what else to say.

'Now the phone's been ringing off the hook, as I'm sure you're aware. Everyone wants to know what happened with Ed or what the response is, but Eric has said to hold off any interviews and he doesn't want you to talk about it. He would, however, like to release a statement about the break-up. What is it you'd like us to say?'

'I don't know.' I sighed.

'Well how about I write something up now and send it over so you can see what you think?'

'Great, thanks Jamie.'

'No problem. Good luck with your final recording this afternoon with The Weeknd. Oh, and I've got you a place on Sunday Brunch on Sunday. They'd like you to perform. Maybe this week will be Skyscraper's chance at number one?'

'Maybe.'

The statement was released that afternoon, whilst I travelled to the studios to meet Abel. I read it through as it appeared on my Facebook page and website.

 _It is with sadness that I announce that Ed and I went our seperate ways at the beginning of this week. Our love was a whirlwind ride, which started and ended too quickly. I still do not completely understand what has happened but I hope that you will respect my privacy at this time whilst my heart heals. I will be rising from the ground like a skyscraper._

Within seconds of being posted by Darren, the comments came pouring in, some of anger, some words of comfort. I closed my Facebook APP, not wanting to look at them.

'Hey Luce.' Abel said with a welcoming smile when I walked into the studio. 'Loving the new look.'

'Thanks.' I said with a smile.

'You didn't have to come in today. We could have rescheduled.'

'It's fine, I want to keep busy.' I replied, honestly. 'Is the album art shoot still going ahead tomorrow?'

'If that's okay with you?'

'Yeah, sure. Let's do this.'

 _'Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder_

 _And if you really need me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder_

 _'Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder_

 _And if you really need me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder.'_

The producer gave us both a thumbs up as the music stopped and I knew we'd got the ending perfect. We joined him in the booth of the studio, listening back to it as he made the final adjustments to the vocals and music.

'It sounds great.' Abel told me with a smile. 'Thank you so much for collaborating with me on this.'

'It's not a problem.'

'You _have_ to perform this with me at The Brits.'

My eyes widened. 'The Brits? Really? Isn't there another song you could sing?'

'Oh yeah, sure, but this would be great. Would really get the crowd going, don't you think?'

I swallowed and bit my lip, nervously. 'Uhm sure.'

The next day, we photographed the album artwork, a photo of us both back-to-back; myself in a tiny, tight black dress and Abel dressed in a black shirt and black trousers. It didn't take long, thankfully, and I found myself falling asleep when I got home, catching up on the sleep I'd already missed that week. On Sunday, I headed off to Sunday Brunch at 8am. Amanda and Eric met me at the studios, Eric looking grumpier than normal. He didn't say anything to me. Instead, he sat on his iPhone, doing goodness knows what, whilst Amanda did my hair and applied natural eye-brightening make-up. The show had provided the clothes, from Topshop, so dressed in a black and white striped scoop back t-shirt, and a black satin midi skater skirt with nude heels, I felt almost like Audrey Hepburn. As I finished getting ready, the hosts, Tim and Simon, introduced themselves before heading onto the set.

'On in five!' The technician said to me. 'You need to make your way onto the set now. There's food and drink there for you.'

I walked out onto the set after Amanda gave me a quick once-over. I still found it odd that sets looked so much smaller in reality than on the television. I was wondering why that was when I felt too hands on my waist. I turned around, startled, to find Nathan Jones stood behind me.

'So we meet again.' He said, darkly, as if acting a villain. His serious face turned into a smile. 'Fancy seeing you here.'

'Well they do say it's a small world.' I replied, casually. He looked nice in a teal shirt and blue jeans, the colour of the shirt bringing out his eyes. 'I hope you're good at cooking.'

'I hope you are good at live performances.' He winked. 'Don't worry, I know you are, I saw you on Graham Norton. I think you might be knocking me off the top spot this week. Where are you in the charts currently?'

'Number two when I checked this morning. Watch your back!'

'30 seconds!' The stage manager called so we made our way to the seats, where croissants, pastries and orange juice were laid out.

'Hello and welcome to Sunday Brunch live. I'm Tim Lovejoy.' Tim said as the show started.

'And I'm Simon Rimmer.' Simon continued. 'Joining us this morning we have Nathan Jones and Lucy May. How are we all this morning?'

'Good.' We both chorused, at exactly the same time.

The whole show whizzed by and we both spoke about our careers. I was thankful that Ed hadn't been mentionned at all, but I was sure that this was probably Eric or Jamie-Lee's doing. Soon, it was the end of the show.

'So you two are having a bit of a battle in the charts at the moment, aren't you?' Tim said with a smile.

'We are. I'm worried that Lucy's going to knock me off the top spot! She's currently number two in the charts I believe.' Nathan said with a laugh. 'Don't blame her though, she's very talented.'

'Yes she is.' Tim nodded in agreement. 'Well Lucy, you're going to sing us out today so why don't you go and get yourself ready.'

I took that as by cue to leave. I walked over to the set up stage area and adjusted the microphone to the right height whilst my band prepped themselves behind me.

'Here's Lucy May with her single Skyscraper.' Tim announced me and the cameras panned around.

 _'You can take everything I have_

 _You can break everything I am_

 _Like I'm made of glass_

 _Like I'm made of paper_

 _Oh Oh_

 _Go on and try to tear me down_

 _I will be rising from the ground_

 _Like a skyscraper_

 _Like a skyscraper_

 _Like a skyscraper_

 _Like a skyscraper.'_

As I finished, I realised tears were in my eyes and I hoped that it wasn't visible on camera. I'd put my all into the song and the whole time Ed's face had been in my mind. And Ed kissing _her._ The cameras were off and I bit my lip as I took a shaky breath. Daisy walked over to me and squeezed my hand with reassurance as Amanda made her way over to us.

'You were fantastic!' She beamed, pulling me into a hug. She pulled back and looked at my sad eyes. 'I really hate that he's done this to you.' She whispered. 'You're a bright spark, Lucy. A shining star who's always smiling. I hate seeing you like this.'

'So do I.' Daisy whispered in agreement. Her eyes glanced over to look and something and she smiled. 'So Nathan Jones is coming this way.'

'What?' I practically croaked. 'Oh my god, do I look like I'm miserable?'

'Just smile and you'll be fine.' Amanda squeezed my waist.

'So I think I'm pretty screwed after that performance.' Nathan said with a crooked smile. 'I think it's safe to say that you're probably number one.'

'We'll see.' I replied, casually. My friends each squeezed my arm and then disappeared.

'So what are your plans for the rest of the day?'

'Pyjamas, Netflix and a roast dinner for one I'd imagine.' I joked.

'Fancy going out for a roast dinner for two?'

'Erm...'

'As friends.' He added. 'Unless, of course, there's something really good on Netflix. But then you'll miss out on the best carvery in London.'

'Well I love watching Gossip Girl but I think I'll have to take up your offer.' I said with a playful smile. 'Where to?'

The 'best carvery in London' turned out to be in a tiny pub called The Holly Bush in Shoreditch. It was an old-English looking pub, and it was very small and cosy with it's wooden beams and roaring fireplace.

'Nate, good to see you!' A woman, who I assumed was the owner, said with a smile. 'I've just seen you and Miss May here on the television. Was the cooking not good enough?'

The few spoonfuls I'd eaten of paella were delicious, but the apron had been covered in food by the time I was done.

'Not as good as your Sunday Roasts.' Nathan replied with a smile.

'Come on, I've got your favourite table.' She led us to the back of the pub to a part filled with bookshelves, all filled with vintage looking books. She pulled out the comfy leather chairs and signalled for me to sit. 'What can I get you to drink?'

'What are you having?' I asked Nathan.

'Bottle of red?' He asked me in response.

'Sure.' I smiled. The woman nodded and disappeared off to the bar. 'This place is lovely. Very quirky.'

'I've been coming here since I was a kid.' He explained. 'The owner, Janette, is my mum's best friend. The food is incredible.'

Janette returned with our bottle of wine and some glasses and she poured us each a glass. 'Go up and grab your food when you're ready.' She said, giving me a friendly smile.

'It's all you can eat.' Nathan explained. 'Even more of a bonus.'

We went up to get our food and I was surprised by how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten properly in days, unless ice cream counted, so I made use of the all you can eat roast. I had turkey, roast potatoes, yorkshires, lots of stuffing (as stuffing was my favourite), carrots, parsnips, peas and some cauliflower cheese, all topped with homemade gravy. Yum.

'I don't think I've ever known a girl who likes her food!' Nathan commented as we sat back down. 'Usually girls I know just want salad or vegetables or the tiniest portion ever.'

I blushed. 'I've not been eating properly, I'm starved. I think my manager would have a fit if he saw me eating this though so don't tell him.'

'Why would he have a fit?'

'He wants me to lose weight.' I replied, pushing some peas around my gravy-flooded plate.

'What?! But you're gorgeous.' He said with a frown. 'And you've got a great figure. How stupid.'

I shrugged. 'You need to go to Specsavers or something.'

Nathan rolled his eyes. 'I'll have you know, my optician said last month that I have perfect vision. Now shush and eat your food before you waste away.'

It was nice having dinner with Nathan. It was a relaxed setting and we spoke like we were old friends. We spoke about our families, growing up and how we'd managed to get into the industry. We finished our dinner and our wine, both struggling to move, but I knew I had to get home before I fell asleep in some obscure place. We walked out into the cool, February air, only to be greeted by paparazzi.

'Ah, shit.' Nathan whispered.

'Are you two an item?'

'Have you moved on from Ed already, Lucy?'

'How are you feeling about the break-up?

Then I saw Matt, like a knight in shining armour. He pushed through the crowds to get both of us, guiding us to the car waiting. We climbed inside and Matt firmly closed the door, walking around to the front. 'Sorry about that.' Nathan whispered. 'Someone must have followed us there.'

'It's okay.' I replied with a small smile. 'I'm getting used to it now.' Tears clouded my vision, so I looked away, out of the window. When I got home, I filled Graham's food bowl and then sat down on the sofa with my guitar. It had been a while since I'd played, but for some reason, lyrics were filling my head as I thought of every single break-up, every broken heart.

 _'I'd like to say we gave it a try_

 _I'd like to blame it all on life_

 _Maybe we just weren't right, but that's a lie, that's a lie_

 _And we can deny it as much as we want_

 _But in time our feelings will show_

 _'Cause sooner or later_

 _We'll wonder why we gave up_

 _The truth is everyone knows_

 _Almost, almost is never enough_

 _So close to being in love_

 _If I would have known that you wanted me_

 _The way I wanted you_

 _Then maybe we wouldn't be two worlds apart_

 _But right here in each other's arms.'_

The floodgates opened again.


	14. Darkness

'OH MY GOD YOU'RE NUMBER ONE!' Leanne screamed down the phone at me that evening, just as I was getting ready to go to bed.

'I am?'

'YES YOU ARE! They've just announced it on the Top 40! Oh my god, I'm so pleased for you! I wish I could give you a big hug!'

'That would be nice.' I laughed.

'Aren't you happy?'

'Well.. yes.' I said, uncertainly. I was, wasn't I? It had taken a few weeks but I'd got to number one. I just needed to try my best to stay there.

I groaned as I read the newspaper the next day whilst Amanda straightened my hair for my video shoot with The Weeknd. Of course, the photo of Nathan and I had made it into every tabloid in London.

' _Lucy May and Nathan Jones were spotted yesterday getting cosy over Sunday lunch in Shoreditch. The pair were on Sunday Brunch together and reportedly decided to go out for dinner afterwards. Does this mean Lucy has already moved on from Ed Sheeran after he reportedly cheated on her with model Elizabeth-_ Eugh!' I groaned, throwing the paper down. 'This is ridiculous. Can two people not just have lunch anymore?'

'Not when you're famous, I'm afraid.' Amanda told me as she spritzed my hair with product. 'Stop touching your face or you'll smudge your make-up.'

I glanced up in the mirror at my deep red lips and cat-like eyes as she moved my ombre hair so that it cascaded over my shoulders and down my chest. 'I wish you were always around to make me look like this. It's definitely an improvement.'

'Oh hush, you're beautiful.' She tutted, moving in front of me to check my eye make-up was symmetrical. 'I'd love to look like you.'

I glanced at her hand as she moved it away from me and my eyes widened. 'You're wearing an engagement ring!' I squealed. 'When?!'

'Friday night.' She smiled, making her eyes light up. 'He proposed when we went out for dinner.'

'Why didn't you tell me?' I asked, feeling offended.

'Because you've been so down, I didn't want to rub my happiness in your face.'

'Well I'm so pleased for you.' I told her, honestly. 'That's such great news and the ring is gorgeous.'

'It is, isn't it?'

'Why are you not dressed yet?!' Eric's voice boomed as he appeared in the dressing room.

'Sorry.' I squeaked, not in the mood to be moaned at. 'I'll get changed now.'

My outfit consisted of a high-waisted black skirt and a lace bralet with black killer heels. The heels were a struggle to walk in, but luckily I didn't have to do much walking.

'Just take a seat on the chair.' The director told me as I looked at the room filled with sand, sand covering the vintage-looking furniture. It was a little bizarre. I did as I was told and waited for further instructions. 'This video _needs_ to be sexy. It's going to have clips from Fifty Shades Darker in it as it's the official song, but you still have a role to play. Like you're Anastacia.'

The virgin who let some utter creep control her life and experiment with her? Ew. 'What would you like me to do?' I asked, hoping he wasn't expecting me to do anything weird or pornographic. My parents would have heartattacks.

'Sing along to the music, roll around on the sand, arch your back, run your hands through your hair and on your body. That kind of thing.' The director told me and I swallowed. 'We'll record it from a few angles for the whole song and then we'll bring Abel in.'

Arch my back? Roll around on the sand? Eek.

I was relieved when the pressure was off me and Abel was joining me. We stood back to back as we sang our parts and then I turned to face him, placing my hands on his chest. That was as sexual as it got for us both, thank God. Within a few hours, it was a wrap and I was relieved. My back was hurting from sticking my bum in the air. I needed to sign up for a gym.

'Thanks so much for this again.' Abel said with a smile. 'I'll send you over some dates for rehearsals for the Brits?'

'Sure.' I nodded.

The rest of the week was free and I felt relieved. I needed time just to relax and be myself. Valentines Day came around and I found myself lonely. Amanda was with her fiance. Leanne had creepy Stefan. Adriana had Ryan. Taylor had Calvin/Adam, who had flown back ready for the Brit Awards the following week. Even Daisy was busy, meeting up with her new boyfriend from We The Kings. I let myself have a lie-in and then I had a long bubble bath whilst Graham snoozed on my fluffy bath mat. Then the buzzer went. I decided to ignore it, but then it went again. And again. Whoever it was, wasn't giving up too quickly. I sighed and got out of the bath whilst the buzzer kept on going. I dried myself quickly and threw on my fluffy white robe, walking over to the intercom.

'Hello?'

'Are you going to leave me stood outside with flowers all day? I look kinda stupid right now.' It was Nathan.

'What are you doing here?'

'Coming to keep you company.' He said, shooting a cheeky smile into the camera. 'We can be two singletons hating Valentines Day together?'

I sighed. 'You're not going to leave are you?'

'Nope so buzz me on up.'

I rolled my eyes and buzzed him in, before quickly racing off to find myself something to wear. I threw on my black high-waisted jeans and an off-the-shoulder grey t-shirt, adjusted my loosely curly hair and quickly applied some make-up, managing to look just about decent as there was a knock on the door.

'You interrupted my bath.' I told him as he stepped inside my apartment.

'I thought you might want some company. I know I definitely do.' He said with a crooked smile. He handed me a bouquet of beautiful pink lilies. 'These are for you.'

'You bought me flowers?' I said, surprised as I took them.

'Girls like flowers, don't they?'

'Yes, of course. I'm just surprised. I wasn't really expecting anything on Valentines Day. They're lovely thank you.' I said with a shy smile, closing the door behind him.

He held up a reusable Tesco bag. 'I've also brought food for dinner and some DVDs incase there's nothing on Netflix.' He gave me a cheeky smile. 'Do I get a tour?'

'Oh, it's a pretty small apartment.' I told him. 'There's the bedroom, the bathroom,' I led him down the small hallway. 'And this is the living room-kitchen.'

'It's nice and cosy.' He commented and I felt glad that I'd tidied and cleaned it the day before.

'This isn't the best bit.' I smiled, leading him to the tucked away door of the terrace. I opened it and we stepped out onto the roof terrace. 'This is my favourite part.'

'What a great view.' He said, looking out at the blue sky over London.

'It is.' I nodded in agreement. 'I can't wait for it to get a bit warmer so I can spend some more time out here.' I rubbed my goosebump-covered, bare arms.

'So, what'll it be first? Back to the Future or Indiana Jones?'

'I think it's going to have to be Back to the Future.' I replied as we headed back inside. I closed the door securely as Graham rubbed against my ankles.

'I didn't know you had a cat.' Nathan said as I scooped up Graham for a cuddle.

I bit my lip. 'I don't. He's Ed's. I was looking after him whilst Ed was away but now it just seems... '

'Weird?' He tickled Graham's ears.

'Exactly.'

'When is he back?'

'Tomorrow evening.' I sighed, putting Graham down and throwing on an off the shoulder jumper to warm up my arms. I was going to take Graham back and pick up my belongings from his apartment at the same time. Then I'd lock it up and post my key through the letterbox. That was the plan.

We spent the day watching rubbish films, playing Mariokart on the Wii and then Nathan cooked me dinner, despite my complaints. He was quite the cook and it surprised me. He'd made a curry from scratch and it was delicious, something which I'd only have expected in a restaurant. After dinner, we sat outside on the roof terrace with my homemade hot chocolates, wrapped up in blanks and layers of warming clothing.

'I'm surprised you can still see the stars out here, even with all the light pollution.' I whispered as my fingers curled around my warm mug of drink.

'I'm glad you can otherwise I'd miss them too much.' Nathan replied with a smile, his breath escaping his lips like steam from a kettle.

'Where in London do you live?' I asked, out of curiosity.

'Notting Hill.' He said. 'So not too far away.'

'Multi-coloured house?' I questionned. That was one of my favourite things about that part of London; multi-coloured houses. That and the carnival and Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts of course.

'Of course.' He smiled. 'You should come by sometime. I've even got my own mini studio now.' He sipped his hot chocolate. 'Mmm this is the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted.'

'Now you're just sucking up.'

'I'm serious!' He replied. 'It's actually incredible!' He had another sip and made a satisfied 'mmm' sound.

I smiled to myself as I leaned backwards, looking up at Orion's Belt in the London night sky.

'Do you miss him?' Nathan's voice caught me by surprise and a familiar lump returned to my throat.

'Yes and no.'

'Yes and no?' He raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at me.

'Yes I do miss him but in ways I don't because I don't want to be near him after what he's done. He disgusts me.'

'I can't believe anyone would cheat on you.' He sighed, his eyes softening as they met mine. I looked away.

'Well obviously I made a mistake or wasn't good enough. She's a model after all.' I looked down at my feet and frowned. Why couldn't I have a perfect size 6 body? I suddenly regretted making the hot chocolate.

'Nope, you didn't make a mistake. He just wasn't your prince charming.'

'No offence, but I hate your gender. I'm not going to find my prince charming. I don't want to. I don't want to fall in love ever again.'

'We're not all like that.' He whispered, putting down his empty mug of hot chocolate. 'And sooner or later you're going to have to give your heart a break.'

I knew the next day was going to be tough. Really tough. And the tears brimmed in my eyes as Matt and I arrived at Ed's apartment, Graham in his carrier and a bag of the remainder of his food in my other hand. I took a deep breath as I entered the apartment and the memories came back of me walking down the staircase in a wonderful dress and Ed telling me how beautiful I was.

'Are you okay, Miss May?' Matt asked me, sensing my tension.

'Lucy, Matt. Please just call me Lucy.' I replied, not answering his question.

Matt closed the door behind him. 'I'll be right here. You let me know if you need anything.'

I took Graham into the kitchen, opening up his pet carrier. He moved around quickly, loving the fact that he was home. I filled up his food bowl and water bowl and then set off to clear my belongings. Upstairs was a floral suitcase of mine, so I opened it up as I packed away lingerie, clothing and shoes that I'd been keeping at Ed's. As I pulled out the dress I'd worn to the Mockingjay premiere, my heart squeezed in my chest and a tear rolled down my cheek. I zipped up the dress bag carefully and knew I'd probably give the dress to charity. Ed had loved me in it and I wasn't sure I ever wanted to wear it again. The photograph of us smiling at Arundel castle looked back at me from the beside table, taunting me, as I packed up the last of my belongings. Then, I slipped on my sunglasses and left the apartment, my cheeks stained with tears as my heart said one final goodbye to what had been truly wonderful.

'You're not having a good day, are you?' Amanda whispered when I arrived at Selfridges to try on some outfits for The Brits that afternoon.

'No.' I whispered, keeping my sunglasses in place. 'Please tell me you have some make-up in your purse.'

'Of course.' She gave me a reassuring smile and pulled me into the ladies toilets, fixing me up with concealer, foundation, eye-brightening eye shadow and some mascara. She dabbed away, seeming unsure as to ask what had happened.

'I went to the apartment.' I told her. 'I had to drop off Graham and pick up my things.'

'Oh sweetie, I'm sorry.' She whispered. 'Is he back today?'

I nodded. 'I'm dreading running into him on Wednesday. Absolutely dreading it.'

'Did Taylor manage to swap your seat?'

'Yes, I'm next to her now and I've got Selena on the other side.'

'Well that's better.' She gave me a squeeze. 'Think that'll do?'

I glanced in the mirror. 'Thank you, you're a lifesaver.'

'Now come on, let's see which outfits they have for you. I bet they're wonderful.'

'I can't believe we're in Selfridges.' I told her as we walked back out onto the beauty floor. 'I always used to come in here and try to get a free makeover but no one ever offered me one. Obviously not classy enough.' We walked along the pathway and lots of beauticians smiled and greeted us.

'I bet they would today!' Amanda replied.

'Miss May.' A man in a suit appeared, holding out his hand to shake mine. 'We have a private dressing room just for you upstairs and we've selected some of our most unique pieces for you to try on today.'

'Thank you, that's so kind of you.' I said, feeling excited. The manager of Selfridges had booked out a dressing room just for me? I wasn't even that famous!

'Follow me.' He said, showing us the way. We took the lift to the first floor and he led us through the clothes as shoppers looked my way. We reached a 'Personal Shopper' room with cream and light green walls, a plush cream carpet, a green chaise-longue and a matching armchair. There was a big green velvet curtain and on the other side of the room was a rail filled with beautiful dresses and a shelf covered with shoes. A lady smiled at me. 'This is Arabella, your personal shopper for today.' The gentleman told me.

'It's a pleasure to meet you.' Arabella said shaking my hand.

'Let Arabella know if you need anything.' The gentleman said and then he was gone.

I looked over at Amanda and realised she seemed to be in as much shock as I was. After all, I was her only 'celebrity' client. 'Are you okay?' I whispered, as Arabella poured us each a glass of expensive-looking champagne. 'Thank you.' I smiled.

'I'm in heaven.' Amanda whispered back to me, taking her flute and clinking it gently against mine.

'So you need two outfits, is that right Miss May?' Arabella said, breaking our private conversation.

'Yes.' I replied with a smile.

'Wonderful. Well your manager sent over some of the pieces he was interested in so we have those for you and a few extras I picked out myself.' She signalled to the rail of clothes. 'Where would you like to start?'

Some of the dresses were disgusting and the fact that they cost a week's rent in my flat made me laugh. A denim maxi dress with slits up each side for £505? I think not. Some dresses, on the other hand, were gorgeous. Fishtail maxi dresses, figure-hugging silk, lace.

I tried on a red lace dress by For Love and Lemons. It was figure-hugging and the underlay covered my bum and plunged down to show cleavage at the front. There was a slit right up the middle, showing my legs. I stepped out from behind the curtain and Arabella clapped her hands together. 'That dress is made for you!' I wasn't convinced. It broke the rule of showing breasts and legs at the same time. I looked over at Amanda and she was shaking her head. Thankfully, she agreed with me.

I tried on a Max Azaria black maxi dress with a plunge front, open back and a thight slit. Again, it was gorgeous, but the drawstring waist did nothing for my figure. It made me look like I was wearing a bin bag. Then there was the steely blue Max Azaria silk dress with halterneck and bare back. Gorgeous, but I was worried about not being able to wear a bra.

Then Arabella handed me a dress that I knew was going to be _the_ dress. It was made by Forever Unique at at £300, I considered it to be pretty good value. I tried it on and it fit me like it was made for me. I loved it. The dress was a mermaid-fitted red lace dress, which hugged my curves in the right place. There was padding in the sweetheart neckline, which made my breasts look nice and the straps crossed over across my bare back. Even with my unstyled hair, I felt like a Hollywood movie star. I pulled back the curtain and stepped out. Arabella and Amanda gasped in unison.

'That's the one.' Amanda told me. 'It's perfect.'

'It's definitely made for you. Definitely.' Arabella nodded and smiled. 'So flattering.'

'I love it.' I whispered with a smile, almost forgetting the crap I'd put up with that day. I felt like a princess or a movie star or someone beautiful and important.

'Well we're definitely taking this one.' Amanda told Arabella. 'What have you got for the stage performance?'

'Well your manager only had one dress in mind.' Arabella said, rummaging around on the rail. She passed me another dress bag marked _Forever Unique_ and I slipped inside to try it on.

It was _very_ different from the other dress and I was quite surprised that I found myself liking it. It wasn't glamorous, it was sexy but without being slutty. It reminded me of something Beyonce might wear. The lace black dress was short and fitted, landing half-way up my thighs. The skirt had an overlay underneath, but the rest did not. There was a built-in bra across my bust, covering my breasts, but, other than that, the lace was dotted around in flowers, showing off my skin underneath. It matched the song, sure. I opened the curtain and Amanda wolf-whistled at me.

'Well it works with the lyrics.' She said, taking it in.

'I actually quite like it.' I told her, surprising myself.

'Me too.' She smiled. 'It's very sexy though and it definitely makes a statement. I hope Ed chokes on his drink.'

The Brit Awards that Wednesday came around quicker than I could imagine. I'd spent most of Sunday and Monday rehearsing with Abel and then on Tuesday we had a soundcheck rehearsal at the venue, performing the song multiple times so that the lighting could be played around with. Before I knew it, it was Wednesday and Amanda was applying my make-up whilst a hairdresser hired by Eric and did my hair and a beautician did my nails. I'd been waxed the day before, which I was glad about as the redness had only just gone down that morning, and my eyebrows had already been shaped. What I didn't understand, however, was that I was staying in a hotel, even though my apartment was a twenty minute car ride away. Eric had said that most of the attendees were staying in this hotel because it was the location of the afterparty. It was silly, but never mind. It meant Taylor was in the room next door to me, so that was a plus.

'How are you feeling?' Amanda asked as she carefully applied my eyeliner.

'Nervous, sick, stressed.'

'Your performance will be great.' My hair stylist told me as a top coat was applied to my nails.

'I'm more worried about running into Ed.' I admitted as my stomach churned in agreement.

'Blank him.' Amanda said, bluntly. 'Have a good night with Taylor and blank him. Let him see how gorgeous you are and what he's lost. And whilst you're having a great time, I'll plot my murderous plan. I wish I could be on the carpet with you, I'm sorry.' She apologised. As my stylist, she was going to be behind the scenes, ready to get my hair and make-up sorted for my performance. I suddenly wished I'd invited Leanne along after finding out that Willow couldn't get the time off of work. Amanda stood backwards, checking my make-up was even, as the hair stylist spritzed my hair with hairspray. The beautician working on my nails started packing away. 'Well Cinderella,' Amanda said, 'I think you're ready to go to the ball.'

I carefully slipped on my dress over my curves, glad that I didn't have any visible panty line. I zipped the dress up carefully, admiring its perfect fit. Then I slipped my feet into the black Jimmy Choos that I was going to wear for the whole evening. Thankfully, they were crazy comfy. I looked at myself in the mirror; my hair had been given Hollywood curls and I couldn't help but imagine myself as a bond girl. I had a black sequinned clutch bag just big enough for carrying my belongings and I wore dangly silver earrings. My make-up was very Hollywood too, with winged eyeliner and deep red lips. It was like I was in the Golden Age.

I stepped out of the bathroom and smiled shyly and the people who had made me look this wonderful. 'How do I look?'

'Like a million dollars.' Amanda smiled, her eyes teary. 'Now let's go get them.'

My car was scheduled to arrive right after Taylor's, so I was glad that they'd be a friendly face on the carpet waiting for me. The car stopped and the driver got out as my heart hammered against my chest with nerves and I suddenly felt boiling. It was just as well I'd braved it and not worn a jacket. I took a few deep breaths, wishing I'd had a drink before I'd left. _Please don't let Ed be here yet_ , I prayed in my head as the door opened. I carefully climbed out, taking my time so that I didn't trip over my beautiful mermaid dress. Then the cameras were off and people were calling my name. It felt weird doing this alone. I normally had Ed beside me. I pushed him out of my thoughts, wishing I could just turn off my emotions. I reached the cameras and I posed for a few pictures, with my hand on my hip, smiling and then pouting as my lyrics filled my head; _it's amazing what you can hide just by putting on a smile._

'Lu!' I looked up and saw Taylor waving, so I hurried on over to her, glad to see a friendly face. She looked incredible in a white cut-out jumpsuit and silver heels with matching bag. She pulled me into a hug. 'Looking fabulous.'

'You're looking great too.'

'Taylor, Lucy, can we get a photo of you together?' A member of the press called and we posed for a few photos before continuing up the red carpet, joining Selena and the rest of Taylor's Bad Blood crew, who knew me from Taylor's New Year's party.

'So we're live here at the Brit Awards and Taylor Swift has just turned up with her crew.' Niquita, a presenter I recognised, said into her microphone whilst being filmed. 'Taylor's crew, how are you all?'

'Good.' We all chorused.

'And Lucy, you seem to be Taylor's newest member? Is it as awesome as it looks?'

'Absolutely.' I laughed. 'These girls are great.'

'And so are you. Doesn't she look _beautiful_?' Taylor gushed, putting a hand around my waist and making me smile.

'She really does. You all look great!' Niquita said with a smile. 'So is Taylor going to win some awards tonight?'

'Absolutely!' Selena nodded.

'Which ones is she going to leave with?'

'Best music video for Bad Blood I'm sure.' I smiled. 'And probably best International Female too!' I ignored the fact that Ed was also up for best music video.

'Well thanks for your time ladies, have a lovely evening.'

We continued making our way inside and then I heard my name being called again. I turned around to see Nathan Jones looking rather dapper in a black suit, grey tie, smart black shoes and a light grey shirt with dark grey spots. 'Hey.' I smiled at him when he reached me.

He pulled me in for a hug, whispering in my ear, 'You look absolutely stunning.'

'Thank you.' I smiled back, aware that cameras were flashing around us. 'You brush up pretty well yourself.' I froze as I saw Ed making his way up the red carpet and Nathan turned to see what had made me tense. My heart raced quickly in my chest and I wondered if I was going to pass out or cry. Then Nathan touched my back gently and I suddenly relaxed, unexplainably.

'Come on, let's go inside.' He said with a friendly smile, leading me into the building.

The building was packed with celebrities dressed in their best, some in wild outfits which I knew would be slagged off by the media and others in outfits which made them look like the elite. I was surprised by how well I seemed to be fitting in.

'You okay?' Nathan asked as he passed me a glass of white wine.

'Yes.' I replied. 'It's weird, suddenly I just feel a lot more relaxed.'

'Good.' He said, giving me a cheeky smile.

'Lu! I wondered where you'd got to!' Taylor said, appearing in front of me.

'We saw Ed.' I told her and her eyes softened.

'Are you okay? Don't worry we're on the other side of the row from him.' She reassured me before turning to Nathan. 'Thank you.'

'No problem.' He shrugged. 'I'll see you in there?'

'Sure.' I smiled.

'So I think he has the hots for you.' Taylor whispered when Nathan had left the reception area.

'No he doesn't.' I frowned. 'He's a friend.'

'Mmmhmm. Didn't he buy you flowers and cook for you on Valentines Day?'

'As friends.'

She raised her eyebrows and looked like she was about to say something, but then her eyes widened as she looked at the entrance, obviously spotting Ed. 'Come on, let's go and find our seats.'

Our table was completely made up of Taylor's 'crew' and I was thankful for that. I sat beside Taylor, with Karlie on the other side of me. I looked around the dimly lit O2 arena, which was also filled with fans of the acts there, and I couldn't believe how busy it was. This time last year, I'd been in my jammies watching The Brit Awards with Leanne and Adriana. I'd never dreamed of actually making it here. I froze as Ed walked past me, chatting to Sam Smith. He glanced over at me with a small smile and I tensed up again as he disappeared out of view.

'Ignore him.' Karlie said from beside me. 'Girl, he is not worth your time at all.'

I shot her a grateful smile. 'Thanks.'

'Us girls got to stick together.'

The first award to be announced was for British Male Artist, and I was hardly surprised to hear that Nathan was in the line-up. I desperately wanted him to win, but it went to Ed, of course. I clapped with a false smile, aware that cameras were around and one was bound to be on me, waiting for a reaction.

'Thank you so much.' He said into the microphone, holding his shiny new award. 'It's been a crazy year, that's for sure. I just want to thank my family, friends, my manager and the rest of my team at Warner Records. This one's for you.' Everyone applauded again and he walked off the stage. Ella Henderson won British Female Artist, and then Royal Blood won Best British Group. I sipped at a glass of water, worried I was going to end up drunk by my performance. I'd had my dutch courage. I didn't need anymore. Nathan won British Breakthrough Act and I was very pleased for him. I didn't need to act. Ed won a lot of awards that evening, including British Single, British album and British Music video. Eventually, it was time to announce Best Female International Artist. We all held onto Taylor, nervously, as we waited for a winner to be called.

'Taylor Swift!'

She squealed with excitement as she stood up beside me and we all embraced her in a hug, Calvin/Adam kissing her on the cheek and whispering something that the rest of us couldn't decipher. She applauded as she walked up to the stage and recieved her award.

'Wow.' She said into the microphone. 'Thank you _so_ much Britain! I am so grateful for this award. I want to thank my family, my label, my incredible friends, most of whom are here tonight, and of course, my wonderful boyfriend. Thank you for all the love and support. You're all shooting stars.' She walked off of the stage to be interviewed and photographed around the back.

Abel got up from the table next to me and nodded. It was time to go and get ready for our performance. He placed his hand on the small of my back and led me backstage. Amanda met me there with a hug and a smile. 'You're doing great.' She whispered. 'They keep showing your reaction to Ed's awards.'

'Ugh I knew they would.' I groaned, shaking my head.

'Well so far you've hidden anything you're feeling. Must be part of being a Hollywood actor.' She giggled. 'Now come on, let's get you sexified.'

'Sexified?'

'It sounded cooler in my head.'

My hair and make-up stayed the same for my performance, although Amanda redid my foundation so that my face didn't look shiny. My shoes were the same, but I was wearing my lace mini dress which showed off a lot of bare skin. I hoped my mum wouldn't freak out when she watched the stream from America. I checked my appearance one last time in the mirror as the tech guy fixed up my ear piece and handed me a microphone.

Amanda gave me a thumbs up. 'Go rock their socks off.'

'We have a special treat for you tonight.' Olly Murs was saying from onstage. 'This is the first time you've ever heard this single, but you'll be hearing it a lot. It's the new official song for Fifty Shades Darker and if you like what you hear, it's available to download from Sunday. Here is The Weeknd and Lucy May with Love Me Harder.'

I carefully walked onto the stage where the lights were dimmed and then they were up almost straight away. I looked at the thousands of people and tried my best to switch off. I was going to give them the best performance they'd ever seen.

 _'Tell me something I need to know_

 _Then take my breath and never let it go_

 _If you just let me invade your space_

 _I'll take the pleasure, take it with the pain._

 _And if in the moment I bite my lip_

 _Baby, in that moment you'll know this is_

 _Something bigger than us and beyond bliss_

 _Give me a reason to believe it.'_

I strutted across the stage as I sung the chorus, trying my best to own it.

 _'Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder_

 _And if you really need me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder_

 _Baby, love me harder_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Love me, love me, love me,_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Harder, harder, harder.'_

Abel walked on from the other side, walking towards me and singing to me.

 _'I know your motives and you know mine_

 _The ones that love me, I tend to leave behind_

 _If you know about me and choose to stay_

 _Then take this pleasure and take it with the pain.'_

He reached me and I danced, moving my hips in time to the beat.

 _'And if in the moment you bite your lip_

 _When I get you moaning you know it's real_

 _Can you feel the pressure between your hips?_

 _I'll make it feel like the first time.'_

I took a deep breath, going straight into the chorus where he sang the echo.

 _'Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder (I'm a love you harder)_

 _And if you really need me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder (love me harder)_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Love me, love me, love me,_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Harder, harder, harder,_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Love me, love me, love me,_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Harder, harder, harder.'_

We turned away from each other, standing back to back as we did in the video for the bridge.

 _'So what do I do if I can't figure it out? (figure it out)_

 _You got to try, try, try again, yeah._

 _So what do I do if I can't figure it out? (figure it out)_

 _I'm gonna leave, leave, leave again._

 _Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder (I'm a love you, love you, love you)'_

I circled him in time to the music, until I was facing him.

 _'And if you really need me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder (love me, love me, baby).'_

I ran my fingers along his chest as we sang to each other.

 _'Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder (love me harder).'_

As we had rehearsed, he turned me away and into him so that I was dancing just in front of him, both of us facing the audience.

 _'And if you really need me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder (I'm a love you harder)_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Love me, love me, love me,_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Harder, harder, harder,_

 _(Love me, love me, baby)_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Love me, love me, love me_

 _(Just a little bit, harder, harder, baby).'_

We turned back so that we were sideways facing each other as we finished the song.

 _'Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Harder, harder, harder.'_

The o2 arena was filled with applause and Abel pulled me into a hug, kissing me on the cheek. Then we held hands and bowed and I laughed as he bowed to me as if worshipping me.

'Wow! That was an incredible performance by The Weeknd and Lucy May. If you liked the song, download it from Sunday.' Olly Murs said, returning to the stage. Abel grabbed my hand and led me off into the wings.

'Nice work.' He said with a smile in his Canadian accent, giving me a hug.

'Thank you for that opportunity.' I said, buzzing with adrenaline.

'No problem.' He winked. 'I'll catch you later?'

'Sure.'

'You were incredible!' Amanda squealed, pulling me into a hug.

'Thank you.' I smiled. 'Right back in the red dress?'

'You might as well stay in that one.' Amanda told me. 'There's only two awards left to announce. Come on, I'll redo your make-up ready for the after party.' My after-party make-up was a little more subtle, focusing more on my eyes than my lips, which were a subtle pinky colour. Amanda touched up my curls quickly and smiled as she pulled out a bag. 'I brought you some of your style staples.' She passed me my fitted leather jacket and my comfy, platformed Louboutins.

'You're an angel!' I told her, changing my shoes and throwing on my jacket as the final performer, Lady Gaga, started singing onstage.

'Enjoy the party. You've done so well tonight.' She told me with a smile. 'I'm proud of you.'

I pulled her into a suffocating hug. 'Thank you for everything.'

'That's what I'm here for.'

'Hey good lookin' ' Gigi said as I returned to the table, ready for the afterparty.

'You were great!' Taylor gushed, hugging me. 'And that dress is seriously hot.'

'You should have seen Ed's face.' Karlie grinned, wickedly. 'He didn't know where to look and I'm pretty sure he was drinking straight whisky.'

I bit my lip, nervously. 'Erm okay.'

'Come on,' Selena said, linking arms with me, 'I think our ride's here.'

We shared a limo back to the hotel, disappearing up to Taylor's room first so that she could change into a Little Black Dress and the other girls changed into their after-party outfits. Then we headed to the venue next door, Soho House. Paparazzi were already there, flashing away as we walked inside and I was glad Amanda had redone my make-up before heading home for the night. Inside, Nick Grimshaw was already DJ-ing and the party was in full swing as we posed for photos. My phone buzzed and I hestitated before taking it out.

 _Pretty good performance. See you in the office at 2pm tomorrow. Eric_

Well that was something, at least. I'd somehow impressed him. Maybe it had been my slutty dance moves? Who knew.

'Hey Lucy, nice performance.' Sam Smith appeared in front of me and for a moment I almost panicked. Ed wasn't in sight, thank goodness.

'Thank you. Well done for winning your award.' I said with a friendly smile.

'Thanks.' He said, genuinely. 'How are you?'

It wasn't a how are you feeling. It was a how are you feeling after being dumped by my friend. 'I've been better.' I replied, honestly. No point lying about it and I wanted Ed to know that he'd hurt me.

He nodded, with understanding. 'Well you were great tonight and you look wonderful.' He gave me a reassuring smile. 'Don't be a stranger, okay?'

'Okay.' I smiled and he was gone.

Two hands grabbed my waist and I almost spilt my drink. I turned to face Nathan and tutted at him. 'You have got to stop doing that. You're going to give me a bloody heartattack.'

'Sorry.' He grinned.

'No you're not.'

'Your performance was incredible.' He told me, changing the subject. 'Absolutely incredible.'

'Thank you. For once, my manager actually seemed pleased with it.' I laughed.

'And so he should be.' He smiled, making his eyes sparkle. Boy his eyes were pretty. I slapped myself mentally. I didn't want to be broken-hearted again. 'And you look very sexy in that dress.'

I blushed, biting my lip and I noticed him watching my mouth. I sucked in a deep breath. 'I tried.'

'And succeeded.' I tensed as I spotted Ed watching me across the room and Nathan looked over at him, subtly. 'Let him look and let him wish he'd never lost you.'

 _You look so beautiful._ Ed's voice filled my head and I flinched, blocking him out. I didn't want to hear _anything_ that he had to say.

Nathan reached out and stroked my arm, making my instantly relax. I looked at him, curiously and then it hit me. 'You're a savant?!' I whispered and his eyes widened as he looked around.

'Not here.' He whispered. He took my hand and led me out of the room, up the stairs and onto the empty roof terrace. I shuddered, wishing I'd got my jacket from the cloakroom. In response, he shrugged out of his jacket and put it on my shoulders. 'You're not supposed to know.' He told me. 'No one is.'

'You're the reason I've been more relaxed.' I whispered, the pieces fitting together.

'I can make people feel any emotion with just one touch.' He explained, his eyebrows knitting together. 'I should have known to hide it better.'

'I'm not going to tell anyone.' I replied. 'Here, pass me that glass.'

He passed me the empty champagne flute, a confused expression on his face. 'Okay.'

I placed it down in the middle of the table, hoping it was going to work. I wanted to reassure him. I frowned, focussing really hard on the champagne flute. Nothing happened. In my head, I pictured myself knocking over the champagne flute and suddenly, using only my mind, the champagne flute flew off the table and landed on the floor, smashing into tiny fragments.

'Did you just do that?' Nathan gasped, his eyes wide. I nodded. 'Wait... so you're a savant too?'

'I am.' I whispered with a small smile.

'Woah. This is so cool!' His eyes twinkled in the dim light.

'It is?'

'Yes! Finally I have someone I can share this with!' He pulled me into a tight hug, surprising me. He pulled back and his eyes looked in to mine. I wondered for a moment if he was going to kiss me.

 _What are you doing with him? Are you over me already?_ Ed's voice filled my head and I winced, looking down.

'I don't feel so great.' I told Nathan. It was a complete lie of course.

'You look kinda pale.' He said, pressing the back of his hand to my forehead. 'Maybe you're coming down with something.'

'Maybe.'

'Come on, I'll take you back to the hotel.'

'No, you don't have to. I don't want to ruin your fun.' I said to him with a frown.

'Fun? Like your ex giving me daggers all night?' He laughed. 'Come on, let's get you back.'

We walked back to the hotel next door and I groaned as paparazzi snapped us leaving so early, firing questions as we passed. Nathan ushered me into the hotel lobby quickly and I let out a sigh of relief when we were safely past the security guards.

'Well that was eventful.' Nathan sighed as we walked into the lift. 'Which floor are you on?'

'Four.' I replied, feeling nervous. Who knew what the caption for the pictures would be the next day?

'Same as me.' He said with a cute, lopsided smile. We were silent the rest of the lift ride and then, in silence he walked me to the door of my hotel room. 'I hope you feel better tomorrow.'

'Thanks.' I replied, shyly, unlocking the door.

'Sleep well.'

'You too.'

I was still awake a few hours later, when there was a knock at the door. I tiptoed to answer it and I was surprised to see Taylor stood there in her pyjamas. 'Hey, how are you feeling?' She asked, looking at my face which was blotchy from crying.

'It all got too much.' I said, crumbling. Taylor pulled me into her arms, rubbing my hair, soothingly. I needed Nathan right there and then and his ability to relax people, to stop it from hurting.

'I'm so mad at him, Lu.' She whispered as she held me. 'But you've done so well carrying on as if you're not hurting.'

'I don't know what I'll do when you go back to America tomorrow.' I sighed.

'You've got Amanda and Daisy and Leanne and Adriana. You'll be fine. But promise me you're not going to let this beat you. Promise me that you'll go out and enjoy your life, that you'll get over him and that you'll write some damn good songs about heartbreak.'

I smiled at the last one. 'You've written some good ones.'

'Exactly.' She sighed. 'Now get into bed and try to get some sleep. It's stupidly late or early depending on how you look at it.'

'Night Tay.' I said like a child.

'Night Lu. See you at breakfast.' She closed the door gently behind her and then I heard a familiar voice in the doorway. 'Ed what the hell are you doing here?' I heard Taylor say through the door. I crept over to it, pressing my ear against it to hear the conversation.

'Please tell me she's not with him.' He said, his voice sounding hurt.

'Who?'

'Nathan Jones.'

'Why does it matter?' Taylor said, her voice venomous. 'You _cheated_ on her, Ed. You became one of _those_ guys. You broke her heart into thousands of pieces and for what? Some silly one-night stand with a supermodel? You were both so happy, why the hell would you corrupt that?'

'I was lonely.' His voice was small and he sounded like a child. 'And you know Elizabeth, we have history.'

'I don't give a damn about your history. You've now made Lucy your history so just leave her alone, let her heal. Eugh, I can't even look at you right now.'

'Taylor? Oh, hi Ed.' I heard Adam's voice and knew he'd gone into the corridor to see what the commotion was about.

'Just let me see her.' Ed pleaded. 'I just need to see her.'

'You had your chance mate and you blew it.' Adam said. 'You've had too much to drink, go home.'

 _Lucy?_

Tears rolled down my cheeks and I curled up in a ball on the floor. _Go away, Ed._

The next day, my meeting with Eric was quicker than usual and he seemd quite chirpy, probably because I was still number one, everyone was talking about my performance with The Weeknd and the single was set to be released on Sunday. I left Warner Records feeling refreshed and seeing the crowd of paparazzi outside, wanting to talk to me, didn't ruin my positivity. I just blocked them out as I climbed into the car. When I got home, I packed away all of my gifts from Ed and all of the photos, placing them into a Jimmy Choos shoebox and pushing them to the back of my cupboard. One day, when I was ready, I might want to look at them again, I decided.

Then, I sat down and realised I had an idea. I found Nathan's number in my phone and dialled it. He answered on the second ring.

'Hey, how are you feeling?'

'I'm doing okay. Hey, you know you said I could come by the studio some time? How does today sound?'

An hour later and I was admiring Nathan's recording studio, running my fingers over the keys of his piano. 'This place is incredible.'

'It's pretty small, I know, but it's good for recording demos.' He smiled. 'Have you been busy writing?'

I nodded. 'I finished a song this morning, but I want an opinion. Do you mind?' I asked, pulling my guitar out of the case.

'Go ahead. I'd love to hear it.' He smiled.

I took a seat on the sofa, pulling my guitar over my lap and I started strumming the chords of the intro.

 _'Did you forget_

 _That I was even alive?_

 _Did you forget_

 _Everything we ever had?_

 _Did you forget?_

 _Did you forget_

 _About me?_

 _Did you regret_

 _Ever standing by my side_

 _Did you forget_

 _What we were feeling inside?_

 _Now I'm left to forget_

 _About us.'_

I closed my eyes as I sang the next part, pouring out all of my emotions at once.

 _'But somewhere we went wrong_

 _We were once so strong_

 _Our love is like a song_

 _You can't forget it_

 _So now I guess_

 _This is where we have to stand_

 _Did you regret_

 _Ever holding my hand?_

 _Never again_

 _Please don't forget_

 _Don't forget.'_

I opened my eyes and saw Nathan looking back at me with an unreadable expression.

 _'We had it all_

 _We were just about to fall_

 _Even more in love_

 _Than we were before_

 _I won't forget_

 _I won't forget_

 _About us_

 _But somewhere we went wrong_

 _We were once so strong_

 _Our love is like a song_

 _You can't forget it_

 _Somewhere we went wrong_

 _We were once so strong_

 _Our love is like a song_

 _You can't forget it_

 _At all_

 _And at last_

 _All the pictures have been burned_

 _And all the past_

 _Is just a lesson that we've learned_

 _I won't forget_

 _Please don't forget us_

 _Somewhere we went wrong_

 _Our love is like a song_

 _But you won't sing along_

 _You've forgotten_

 _About us.'_

As I finished, there was a loud bang and the ground shook as the lights went off and I was knocked to the ground, hitting my head. What on earth was happening?


	15. Lockdown

**_Hi all- seemed to have a problem with duplicate chapters so it should be sorted now! Thanks for reading._**

'Nate?! I cried out into the darkness and I felt two arms wrap around me as my guitar fell to the floor, along with a few of the trophies on the wall.

'I'm here.' He whispered as car alarms sounded outside.

'What just happened?'

'I don't know. Are you okay?'

'My wrist.' I winced. It was throbbing. He let go of me for a moment and then the torch of his phone looked me over.

'You're hurt.' He whispered. 'Can you get up?'

'Yes.' I pushed myself off of the ground and tried to wriggle my wrist, to no such luck. 'I can't move it.' Tears brimmed in my eyes and it stung.

'It might be broken. Come on, let's get you some ice.' He directed me through the dark into the living room, which was lit by the huge windows. I gasped at the sight of thick, black smoke filling the air and spoiling the beautiful view.

'That's one big fire.' I whispered as Nathan rummaged through his freezer. He brought over a bag of peas wrapped in a tea towel and wrapped it gently around my wrist. I winced as the cool touched my swollen skin.

'I don't think that's a fire.' Nathan whispered, his eyes concerned. He was right. The ground had shook, the power had gone, and smoke billowed into the sky from near the London Eye in the distance. My stomach churned. It had been an explosion and, most likely, a terrorist attack. 'Come on, I've got to get you to hospital. I'll drive us.'

I winced as Nathan buckled my seat belt and raised my wrist, desperate to keep the swelling down. I felt dizzy with pain and I wished I'd taken some painkillers. He drove us,in his BMW, a car I wasn't surprised that he owned, out of the underground parking lot and onto the road, which was filled with people trying to get somewhere. Police were hurrying along the path and it was obvious that whatever had happened was serious. The drive to the hospital should have taken ten minutes, but with the busy roads and ambulances and police cars taking past, it was more like twenty.

'How are you holding up?' Nathan asked from beside me as he moved aside to let another ambulance past.

'Okay.' I whispered. The pain was horrible, but I was also busy worrying about all of my friends in London. Taylor was safe as her flight had left at lunchtime, but what about Daisy and Amanda and Greg, Jake, Jesse and Ed? _Ed._ I desperately tried to phone them, any of them, but the call wouldn't connect. The lines were down. 'I can't get hold of anyone.' I told Nathan, my face etched with worry.

His mouth formed a straight line and I knew he was worrying about his friends and family too. 'I'm sure everyone is fine.' He said, trying to reassure himself just as much as me. 'Ah, thank goodness.' He pulled into the hectic hospital car park, grabbing a ticket on the way in and then finding one of the last few spaces. Then he was by my door, opening it for me like a gentleman.

'I'm afraid I've defrosted your peas.' I told him as he locked the car door and he led me towards the Accident and Emergency department.

'That's the least of my concerns.' He replied, ushering me through the door.

I'd never seen a hospital so frantic. People were being pushed in on stretchers and on beds, some of them being left in the corridor. There were head injuries, a few burns and breaks far worse than mine. I suddenly wished I'd waited and come back later. I didn't have any bones protuding my skin.

'Can I help you?' A nurse asked as we reached the reception desk.

'I think she's broken her wrist.' Nathan replied.

'May I see?' The nurse looked at my wrist carefully. 'I'm afraid it's going to be a long wait. If you fill out these papers I can give you some coedine to help with the pain whilst you are waiting.'

Nathan scribed for me, as it was my right wrist I'd seemingly broken. Then I was given some water and some painkillers, which I didn't hesitate to take. There were no available seats left, so we sat down on the floor, our backs pressed against the walls as the television flicked on.

 _Breaking news: Terrorist Attack on London_ was the headline. The helicopter showed billowing smoke coming from next to the Houses of Parliament and the reporter was saying that they had no idea how many were dead or how many were injured at this time. Nausea overwhelmed me and I felt dizzy again as a tear rolled down my cheek. Why the hell couldn't I get hold of anyone? It was destroying me. I knew my family were safe, and Leanne and Adriana, but what about everyone else? I didn't realise I was crying uncontrollably until Nathan wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into him, trying his best to calm my mood.

Over the next few hours, as we sat waiting to be seen, the events started to unfold on the BBC news channel. Savants, again, were to blame. They'd been protesting outside the Houses of Parliament and then, suddenly, a bomb had gone off. They weren't sure yet where the bomb or bombs had been, but it was clear they were powerful. The whole of London had experienced a powercut and the ground had shook like an earthquake. London was currently on lockdown and roads in Westminster were closed. Buses were running people out of the city as an evacuation measure because the underground stations were closed. It was impossible to get anywhere unless you owned a car, but even then the roads were packed. My phone rang and I answered it without hesitation.

'Hello?' Amanda's voice was on the other end of the line. 'Please tell me you're okay.'

'Possible broken wrist but other than that, I'm fine.'

'Eric has been trying to get hold of you for hours.'

'I've not been able to get through to anyone.' I explained. 'Have you heard from Daisy? Jesse? Jake?'

'They're all fine, don't worry.' She said, reassuringly. 'Are you at the hospital?'

'Yeah, I've been here for hours.' I sighed. 'I'm hoping they're going to see me soon.'

'I hope so too. Keep me updated and stay safe.' And then she was gone. Suddenly, twenty-odd text messages came through at once and I relaxed. Eric, Jamie-Lee and Darren had all tried to get in contact. As had Leanne, Willow and my parents and Greg. I sent them all a message back to say that I was waiting for an x-ray, but other than that I was fine. The only person I hadn't heard from was Ed and that worried me. I tried dialling his number again but it went straight to voicemail.

'All of my friends and family are safe.' Nathan said, reappearing beside me after leaving to make phonecalls half an hour previously. He passed me a plastic cup of water. 'Have you got hold of everyone you wanted to?'

'Almost.' I said, examining my swollen wrist. It looked awful, but the peas had melted so there was nothing left to make it numb.

'Lucy May?' A doctor called and I carefully stood up.

'That's me.'

'Suspected broken wrist?'

'Yep.'

'Follow me, we'll go straight to x-ray.'

Nathan carried my bag and coat as we followed the doctor to the x-ray department. I wondered what I'd done without him today. 'I'll be right out here.' He told me with a smile as I walked into the x-ray room, my wrist still throbbing, even more so now the painkillers were wearing off.

'Okay, so how did you do it?' The doctor asked as he laid my wrist out flat.

'I fell on the sofa when the explosion happened and I guess I must have landed on it awkwardly.'

He ran his hand over my wrist and nodded. 'It's definitely an ulnar fracture but we have to run an x-ray anyway.'

I'd never had an x-ray before and it wasn't a pleasant experience. He moved my wrist into all kinds of painful positions as he snapped the photos and I winced as he did so. When it was done, I was sent to sit on a chair in the corridor to wait for the x-rays to come through, which seemed stupid when he'd already confirmed it was a break. Half an hour later, and we were called through to look at the picture. Thankfully, surgery wasn't required and they applied a plaster cast, one which I'd have to wear for six weeks. Not ideal when I had a movie premiere and an album launch concert over the next few weeks. It took a further hour to get back to Nathan's house and I felt exhausted as I walked up the stairs with my arm in a sling. It had been a stressful day.

'How am I going to get home?' I groaned as we reached Nathan's apartment. He unlocked the door and we stepped inside.

'I think it's safe to say you're not going anywhere tonight.'

'But I need my jammies and my toothbrush and-'

'Shh.' He cut me off. 'You really think you need all of that after the day we've had?'

'You're right.' I yawned, looking at the clock on the wall; 2am. Really?!

'I can give you some things to sleep in, okay? And I think I've even got a brand new toothbrush in the bathroom cupboard somewhere.'

He passed me a glass of water and my next round of coedine from the hospital, before disappearing into the bedroom. He appeared a moment later with a baggy Rolling Stones t-shirt and some pyjama shorts. He was even brandishing a red toothbrush in its Tesco wrapper. 'Here you go. You can use the bathroom first whilst I set up the sofa. You'll be a lot more comfortable in the bed.'

I looked out of the window at the London skyline, realising none of the stars were visible and it was a whole lot darker than normal. You couldn't even seen the lights of the London Eye or the Shard. It made me shudder. 'Thank you.' I whispered, uncertain of how much sleep I would actually be getting. I padded into the bathroom, carefully slipping out of my sling and changing into the t-shirt and plaid shorts Nathan had given me. Both were too big, because of his muscular figure, but I didn't care. I quickly brushed my teeth and ran my fingers through my knotted hair, before l vacated the bathroom.

Nathan's bedroom design surprised me. The grey carpet and white walls were simple, but it was the details that I was surprised by; four canvases decorated one wall, showing an underground sign, a double-decker bus, a postbox and a telephone box. There was a white bedside table decorated with a red alarm clock and bedside lamp, a copy of A Dance With Dragons laid out. The bed had a black leather frame, one of those ones with a built in television, and it was pushed against one of the walls, decorated with a London-themed duvet cover and two grey cushions and two red. His wardrobe was white, matching the bedside unit and took up the remaining wall, a large mirror built onto one of the doors. I carefully closed the black and grey blind and climbed into the duvet, burying myself underneath it, and somehow, falling asleep.

 _I was walking through London, over Westminster bridge when a familiar voice called me. I froze. What the heck was Rich doing here, wearing his angelic smile? How could someone hurt you so bad when they looked like an angel._

 _'I told you to join us but you didn't listen.' He said, his voice sly._

 _'Why would I join you? I don't want anything to do with you and I don't want to hurt anyone!' I hissed back. A man beside him lit up suddenly. A human fire ball. 'No!' I called out. He was going to explode. 'Don't. Don't do it!'_

 _'Then join us.'_

 _'I'll never join you!'_

 _I saw Ed hurrying towards me and then the man exploded._

I woke up with a scream and I realised I was baking hot and tears were rolling down my cheeks. My breath was quick and I felt sick. Nathan appeared in the doorway, his eyes wide, wearing plaid boxer shorts and a tight tank top. 'Bad dream?' I nodded, mutely, wiping away my tears with my left hand, the one I could still use. 'Budge up.' He said, sitting down beside me. I did as he said, scooting over on the bed. His hand reached out, rubbing my back, reassuringly. 'Do you want to talk about it?'

'Not really.' I whispered, starting to relax a little. I wondered which other emotions he could make me feel.

'Try and get back to sleep.' He whispered, soothingly. I laid down, facing away from him and he gently rubbed my back.

 _Lucy? Please tell me you're okay.I've been trying to call you._ Ed's voice came into my mind, catching me by surprise, but Nathan's ability kept me calm.

 _I'm fine. Goodnight._ I replied, and then I must have fallen asleep.

I wasn't sure what time it was when I woke up the next day, but I was surprised to see that Nathan was fast asleep beside me, like my own personal dreamcatcher, keeping away the nightmares with his arm draped around my waist. He looked cute asleep and I couldn't help but admire the muscles shown by his tank top. I carefully climbed over him, grabbed my phone from the bedside table and switched it on as I walked out into the living room. I sat down and turned on the television, coming straight onto the news channel.

 _'Transport and roads are still shut in London as the city remains at a standstill after the explosion at Westminster yesterday. Twelve have been confirmed dead so far and at least twenty three people are critically injured. It has been announced that savant protestors were in Westminster before two car bombs exploded, so the two have been connected. Some parts of the city have been evacuated and the police have suggested that people stay in their homes wherever possible until they have more information.'_

I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. How awful. I logged into Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, surprised by the amount of fans concerned for my safety. I felt for them and hoped they didn't know any of the victims. I decided to send out a message on all of my social media, snapping an image of my plaster cast.

 _Thanks for all your kind thoughts. Thankfully, other than a broken wrist, I am fine. Thinking of the victims and their loved ones today and praying for those in hospital. We are stronger than this if we stand together x_

London didn't re-open transport until the weekend, but security remained incredibly high. Police were everywhere and more officers had been called in from other parts of the country. Westminster, of course, remained closed, due to the damage caused by the explosions and tourists were still been advised not to visit. Which meant that my birthday on the Saturday had been a lousy one. I spent the day rehearsing for my album launch the following day, unable to be joined by my friends as Leanne and Adriana were both working. The band hadn't even acknowledge my birthday, so I felt pretty rubbish when I got home that evening. That was, until I saw the bunch of flowers and little blue Tiffanys box on the doorstep.

 _Happy Birthday birthday girl! I hope you like your presents and I'll see you soon, Nathan xx_

I opened the box and gasped at the beautiful 'L' charm bracelet inside. It was simple but beautiful. And expensive. I was sure of it.

I hadn't wanted my album launch to take place on that Sunday , but Eric had assured me they had hired a large security team and I was staying in a hotel right by the venue so that I didn't have to travel across the city. I checked into my hotel at 4pm on Sunday afternoon, meeting Amanda and Leanne there. Adriana had once again been told she couldn't have the time off work, which she'd been very irritated about. I promised her I'd go to visit her soon.

'Hello our wounded soldier.' Leanne grinned, pulling me into a hug in the hotel lobby after I'd checked in. She passed me a late birthday present.

'How are you?' Amanda asked.

'Sore, but I'll do. Just annoyed I have to perform with this stupid thing on and ugh the premiere on Wednesday.' I groaned.

'I have a plan for that.' She smiled, reassuringly. 'Let's just worry about tonight first.'

The launch party was set to start at 7pm, with my performance starting at 7.30pm. It meant that Amanda spent the afternoon giving me my familiar Lucy May make-over, dolling me up for the evening in the Superior Triple Room I'd asked for; I wanted my two friends to stay with me, after all.

'So who's coming tonight?' Leanne asked as she blew at her wet nails Amanda had painted for her. She was currently busy painting a glittery coat on top of my deep purple nails, whilst the rollers worked miracles on my hair.

'I don't really know if I'm honest. The press, obviously, and Eric and the rest of the team, obviously. I know all of the artists on the label get an invite but I doubt anyone will turn up. Taylor wanted to come but she's got a concert tonight in Nashville. Nathan's coming and Abel, too.'

'Of course Nathan's coming.' Leanne said as if I was silly to point it out. 'He's completely into you.'

'No he's not.' I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

Amanda moved to applying my second coat of deep red lipstick. 'Oh, he definitely is. He spent hours sat in a hospital with you waiting for an x-ray and then he let you crash at is.'

And we fell asleep next to each other, I added silently. 'He's a good friend but that's all I want. I don't want my heart broken again.'

'Stop that, I'm trying to do your lips. Then you're ready to get dressed.' She swatted me.

'Mmmhmm.' Leanne rolled her eyes. 'Friends.'

Amanda stood back, looking at my face. 'Yep, you'll do. Now go and get dressed but please don't smudge your make-up or I'm going to have to kill you.'

My outfit for the evening was a black playsuit. One which was gorgeous but tricky to put on so I really hoped I wouldn't have to pee. It had a lace overlay over my shoulders and down to the sweetheart neckline. The lace continued over the back, but most of the back was open. Luckily, there was built in padding so I wasn't worried about not wearing a bra. Paired with my new purple shoe-boots and a black leather jacket, it was a really cool outfit and it made my smooth legs look super long.

'Come here and I'll finish your hair.' Amanda commanded. I walked over to her and she carefully took out the rollers, letting the curls fall around my shoulders. Leanne pulled a sparkly black vest over her shoulder, finishing off her jeans and heels outfit. She checked her appearance in the mirror as Amanda spritzed my hair with hairspray. 'Right you're all done. I'll just get changed and then we're ready to roll.' She grabbed her clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.

'Are you nervous?' Leanne asked as she threw on a black military jacket with her outfit.

'Yeah.' I replied, honestly, as I looked at my appearance in the mirror. 'What if people don't like the songs?'

'Don't be daft, they'll _love_ them.' She said with a reassuring smile. 'Besides, if they were crap then Eric wouldn't have agreed with them.' She winked. 'I can't wait to hear them. Do I get my own signed copy of the album?'

'Of course.' I said with a smile, looking at the black cast on my arm, which Amanda had glued glitter to. It was a nice attempt. 'A benefit of being Lucy May's BFF.'

'I'm proud of you, babe.' She said, embracing me. 'Even if you look a little slutty in your new video.'

I groaned. The video of Love me Harder had been released the previous day and the e-mail from my parents suggested that they weren't best pleased about what their 'little girl' had been up to.

 _Lucy,_

 _We're glad you're okay. Hopefully your wrist will stop hurting soon. Just seen your new music video. It's a bit racey, isn't it? Don't go making a bad name for yourself. We know you're not like that at all really. Good luck at your album launch tomorrow. We wish we could be there to see you. Be careful and we love you lots,_

 _Mum and dad xxx_

I'd been a bit embarassed thinking of them watching the video, let alone hearing the lyrics I was singing. Cringe. I shuddered at the thought. 'Slutty? Thanks.'

'Slutty's good.' She grinned. 'Another thing to make Ed envious of what he lost.'

Amanda emerged from the bathroom in a red tea dress, thick tights and long boots. 'Ready when you are.'

I took a deep breath. 'Then let's get this over with.'

The Bridge was a venue not far from Stamford Bridge Football Club, home to the Chelsea blues. The venue held just shy of 300 guests and would be made up for the lucky 50 fans who had won tickets and the rest would be press and other musicians, with a few people from the label of course. Amanda and Leanne were in a different car to me, which was disappointing, but apparently all eyes were supposed to be on me and I needed to arrive on the red carpet alone. Alone looking daft with a cast from a broken wrist. I looked at it self-consciously and hoped that whatever the plan was for the premiere, it wouldn't draw too much attention to my wrist. I was already fed up of the bulky thing and I was refusing to wear the sling because it made me feel even more silly. The car stopped and Matt, my only company climbed out of the back seat, moving round to open my door. I gulped. The press could be cruel and fans could be too. I only hoped they would enjoy the performances I'd selected from the album. Matt opened the door and gave me a friendly smile as he held it open. Not needing to worry about a bag, as Leanne had my phone, I climbed out carefully, supporting my wrist. The cameras flashed and I was surprised to see some fans lining the sides of the red carpet, with posters and magazines of me, screaming. Except I couldn't sign anything, bloody hand. I posed for as many selfies as I could, trying to make up to them, before making my way up to the paparazzi, posing for a few photos (whilst being filmed by my Vlog cameraman) before heading inside.

The venue was quite funky and was split into two parts; there was the standing area by the stage with a few stools scattered around the edge and its own tiny bar. Then there was the raised platform area with private booths, square-shaped stools and a bar decorated with disco lights. All around were images of me on the screens, photos from my album shoot and occassionally one of my music videos would play, including my new one with the Weeknd.

Eric called me over before I could go any further, practically pushing me into the backstage area. 'You need to wait back here so you can make your grand entrance.' He said.

'But I just walked up the red carpet.' I replied, confused.

'And in ten minutes you'll be on the stage. We need everything to be exciting.'

'Hey!' Daisy said, pulling me into a hug. 'You look great!'

'Apart from this stupid thing.' I groaned, pointing to the cast.

'The sparkles look good.' Jesse commented, putting his arm around my shoulders.

'The tech guy will be here to sort out your ear piece in a minute. Just don't mess up, okay? Stick to what you've planned. Six songs and then your song with The Weeknd.' Eric walked off, looking as nervous as I felt.

'So we're still going ahead with the cover, right?' Jesse grinned, referring to the cover we'd rehearsed and planned for the previous day.

'Of course.' I smiled. I'd had enough of being told what to do by my grumpy manager.

Ten minutes later and my earpiece was on and Daisy, Jake and Jesse were walking out onto the stage, being greeted by screams and applause. Abel gave me a thumbs up from where he stood, having his ear piece fitted. The music onstage started, opening with Heart Attack and I walked in, singing the song with my entrance.

 _'I think I'd have a heart attack.'_ I ended the song.

The fans in the standing area screamed and the rest of the crowd applauded, much to by relief. I put my microphone into the stand. 'Thank you so much. It's my pleasure to welcome each and every one of you tonight to the launch of my first ever album, _Skyscraper._ Thank you all for being here to share this special moment with me. This one's called _Lightweight.'_

After _Lightweight,_ I went straight into Skyscraper and I couldn't believe that people were singing along to one of _my_ songs. It was the craziest feeling ever. Then I sang _Made in the USA,_ irritated that Eric had chosen a song I'd written about Ed to perform. I was thankful, at least, that he hadn't asked me to duet with Ed in front of all these people. _I was Made For Loving You_ was on the album, but it was the last track. The End.

The music started up for _Love me Harder_ and the crowd cheered, singing along as I danced around the stage, microphone in my hand, until Abel came on, causing more screams. I danced around him, making my dancing sexy as it had been at the Brit Awards.

'Ladies and gentleman, The Weeknd!' I said when we finished, signalling to Abel. He pulled me into a big, friendly hug, kissing me on the cheek, before he saluted and disappeared off of the stage. The next song on the set list was one of my favourite songs I'd ever written. I took a deep breath as the words came to me,

 _'My state of mind has finally_

 _got the best of me_

 _I need you next to me_

 _I'll try to find a way that I_

 _could get to you_

 _Just wanna get to you_

 _The world I see is perfect now,_

 _you're all around_

 _With you I can breathe.'_

'Thank you so much London. Do you mind if I sing you a cover?' I asked and I noticed Eric shaking his head from the back of the room. The crowd cheered, encouraging it, so I turned away, facing my band and winking at them. We'd all rehearsed this perfectly, with them providing the backing vocals. It sounded awesome. I counted them in and they played the intro as I tapped my foot in time to the beat.

 _'I stay out too late_

 _Got nothing in my brain_

 _That's what people say, mmm-mmm_

 _That's what people say, mmm-mmm.'_

I turned to face the crowd, who were singing and jumping around in time to the music.

 _'I go on too many dates_

 _But I can't make them stay_

 _At least that's what people say, mmm-mmm_

 _That's what people say, mmm-mmm._

 _But I keep cruising_

 _Can't stop, won't stop moving_

 _It's like I got this music_

 _In my mind_

 _Saying, "It's gonna be alright."_

 _'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play_

 _And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate_

 _Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake_

 _I shake it off, I shake it off_

 _Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break_

 _And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake_

 _Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake_

 _I shake it off, I shake it off.'_

The song went down a treat and we all joked about with silly dance moves as we sang it together. 'Give it up for Daisy, Jake and Jesse everybody!' I said and my band all bowed. I looked out into the crowd for Eric, but couldn't see him anywhere. Was he crying in a corner? Probably. That was when I spotted him. Stood there, casually, a beer in his hand. Ed. Daisy had spotted him too. She was giving me a thumbs up in the corner of my eye and I knew I had to continue. He wasn't going to beat me. 'This is my last song for tonight, but it's a song that means a lot to me. Thank you again for coming and I hope you enjoy it. This is _Gonna get caught.'_

On cue, the electric guitar sounded out and I wished I was playing my guitar for comfort as I started to sing.

 _'You reeled me in with your smile_

 _You made me melt with your voice_

 _Now I've been gone now for awhile_

 _Just to find that I'm your seventh choice_

 _And I don't wanna pay the cost_

 _But it'd be best if you get lost_

 _Cause we know you'll never change._

 _Don't say that you need me_

 _And don't play these games with my mind_

 _You better get out of my head cause your wasting your time_

 _And don't say its forever_

 _And don't play cause you had your shot_

 _You better stop messing around cause you're gonna get caught.'_

Ed's eyes met mine as I ended the chorus and I blinked, looking away. I'd written this song a few years back, but I'd never actually expected it to apply to him. The fault made me feel sick.

 _'You promised me all of your time_

 _I guess I'm not the only one_

 _But see it's my heart on the line this time_

 _I'm your number one or I'm gone_

 _Don't say that you need me_

 _And don't play these games with my mind_

 _You better get out of my head cause your wasting your time_

 _And don't say its forever_

 _And don't play cause you had your shot_

 _You better stop messing around cause you're gonna get caught.'_

I moved across the stage, strutting around, determined to distract myself as I continued to sing, venom in my voice.

 _'Go and try to get me back_

 _I won't forget about our past_

 _I never had the guts to leave_

 _Now your making it_

 _Now your making it much easier for me to see.'_

I turned to face the front.

 _'And don't say that you're sorry_

 _For breaking every inch of my heart_

 _I should've known from the start now it's time to get lost.'_

The guitar kicked back in and I ran my hand through my hair as I moved over to my bandmates, rocking out with them to finish the song.

 _'And don't say that you need me_

 _And don't play these games with my mind_

 _You better get out of my head cause your wasting your time_

 _And don't say its forever_

 _And don't play cause you had you shot_

 _You better stop messing around cause you're gonna get caught.'_

Ed was still staring at me and I locked eyes with his, feeling angry as I ended the song.

 _'You better stop messing around cause you're gonna get caught.'_

The crowd cheered and applauded, and Ed looked away, his face almost sad. 'Thank you.' I said to the crowd with a smile. 'I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening.' I took a bow with my bandmates and then we walked offstage. 'We did it!' I squealed, pulling them into a group hug whilst trying not to injure my wrist even more. 'You guys were great!'

'So were you!' Daisy grinned, hugging me. She pulled back and Jesse kissed me on the cheek, making me step backwards. My female bandmate rolled her eyes. 'Come on, let's get changed and enjoy the rest of the party.'

I had a quick wash, getting rid of the sweatiness, and then Amanda appeared, ready to re-do my make-up. Leanne, of course, was with her, looking like a proud best friend. 'You were so awesome!' She cooed.

'Thanks.' I smiled, looking at my wrist. It was hurting like a bitch.

'Is it bad?'

'Very.' I frowned. 'But I'm determined not to have painkillers because then I can't have a celebratory drink!'

'Close your eyes, woman.' Amanda tutted and I did as I was told as she redid my eyeliner, carefully. When she was satisfied ten minutes later, I quickly changed into my second outfit of the evening; a subtle gold shimmery mini skater skirt, black shoe boots, over-the-knee black socks, a black strapless top, and a statement necklace. I had the leather jacket, too, but I didn't think I was going to need it. I was baking hot. I followed my friends out into the venue.

'That was a silly move up there, singing a cover.' Eric muttered, greeting me with a false smile and an uncomfortable hug.

'But they loved it.' I replied, returning the false, sickeningly sweet smile.

'You're lucky they did. Now go on, there's some members of the press wanting to speak to you. Do that and then you're free to mingle with everyone else.'

The questions for the press were all very similar; how do you feel about your first album? What are your hopes for the album? When are you going on tour? And, finally, how are you feeling about the break-up. I answered the questions, calmly, as I'd rehearsed with Eric, telling the press that I felt alright, sometimes things didn't work out and that was just life. Fans were starting to leave, as were the press, so I was just left with friends and others from my label. Ed hovered by the bar, talking to Paolo Nutini, who I was surprised to see at _my_ album launch party. My ex-boyfriend/soulfinder glasses over at me and I looked away quickly, smiling at Leanne and Amanda like they'd said something funny.

'Well we didn't make it to number one, not yet. You're holding onto that spot pretty tightly.' Abel said from behind me.

I turned to face him and gave him a friendly hug. 'Thank you so much for coming and performing tonight.'

'You're welcome. You're a great girl to work with.' He said with a smile. 'Plus, I was going to ask a favour. I have a show in London next Friday, perform with me there?'

I didn't think anything was in my schedule and I very much doubted that, if there was, Eric was going to stop me performing at The Weeknd's show. 'Sure, sounds great.'

'Awesome. I have to go but I'll text you the dets.' He kissed me on the cheek. 'Have a great night.'

'You look like you need a drink.' Nathan's voice made me turn around in surprise. He had a glass of champagne in each hand.

'Thank you.' I smiled as he passed me a glass.

'To your debut album.' He raised his glass, clinking it against mine before taking a sip. 'I think it's safe to say that your launch party has been a success.'

'You think?' I replied, after taking a sip of my own glass.

'Absolutely.' He said with a cute smile that met his eyes. 'The fans loved it, it's all over social media, you performed very well despite having a cast on your arm.'

'I'm already sick of this thing.' I frowned. 'It just gets in the way and it looks awful.'

'You're still beautiful.' He said with a smile. _Beautiful?_ It was something I hadn't heard since Ed had last called me it on Skype. It caught me off-guard and I think Nathan realised because he reached out and touched my arm, giving me that instantly relaxed feeling.

The party didn't finish too late and I was glad because my wrist was throbbing. Amanda, Leanne and I headed back to the hotel room, where I slipped my wrist into its sling and we collapsed on the double bed I was sharing with Leanne, in our pyjamas, watching Audrey Hepburn Classics. It was a wonderful way to end a surprisingly good evening. We woke up at a reasonable hour the next day and, after breakfast, we checked out and the girls dragged me to HMV to see my albums. I was surprised that a lot had already been sold when I arrived, and the girls snapped a shot of me stood next to them, which I uploaded straight to Instagram.

 _The big day is here! My debut album 'Skyscraper' is available to buy NOW! Coolest feeling ever!_

The girls took me home, where I changed back into my pyjamas and pulled out the newspapers I bought with reviews from my album launch. I started with the Metro. It was short and sweet.

 _Last night, Lucy May wowed 300 lucky fans, members of the press and friends with her album launch party for her debut album Skyscraper. She performed a number of songs from her album, including her singles, sang her new single, her duet with The Weeknd and she had the crowd singing and dancing along to a funky version of 'Shake it off' by Taylor Swift. All in all, the girl knows how to put on a show and still look fabulous, even with a broken wrist._

It made me smile. I put the newspaper to one side and pulled out the next one.

 _Lucy May released her debut album with a BANG last night with an intimate performance of some of the songs from her first album. Her performances showed her superb vocal range and she looked stylish as always, with a playsuit from French Connection and her signature Shoe Boots from Topshop. She had the crowd singing and dancing from the start, although it was clear that she and Ed Sheeran are still not on speaking terms after he cheated on her whilst on tour in Australia at the beginning of this month. Now we have a new question; is she dating The Weeknd or Nathan Jones, both she has been spotted with on a number of occasions. Watch this space._

I rolled my eyes. Seriously, how petty? Nothing was going on with Abel or Nathan. Were girls not allowed to have male friends anymore? Maybe not if you were in the spotlight. Suddenly, I felt very dizzy and I quickly sat down, worried I was going to cause more damage to myself. I felt sick and I groaned. Another vision? Really? It had been so long since I'd had one. Could I not have had one warning me about the terrorist attack on London? I could have saved lives.

 _I could smell smoke. A lot of it. But where was I? I looked around, trying to work it out but it was unfamiliar to me. I was on a street and it definitely wasn't in England. I didn't realise the language on the shop signs. I looked ahead and my heart thumped against my chest as I saw the flames and heard the screams. There was a fire._

 _I had to get the people out of the shop. I had to. I ran towards it, prepared to throw myself in, but fire exploded into the air and the sheer impact threw me backwards, making me hit my head against the ground. Then everything went black._

I blinked as my living room came back into view. Another attack? But where?


	16. Europe

I'd had Tuesday off work, as Eric had deemed me 'pretty useless.' He was cross I couldn't go to album signings, but what was the point when I couldn't sign anything? It was a shame I wasn't left-handed. On Wednesday, I had a doctor's appointment at a private hospital in London. I'd never been to one before and I knew it was because Eric was getting fed up of seeing my sparkly, chunky cast. It wasn't exactly a fashion statement and apparently it didn't go with the whole 'image' he was trying to create for me. I left the hospital with an alternative solution, which still had to be worn all of the time; a splint. The leather splint was strapped on and secured tightly, keeping my wrist in the same position as it had been in for the cast, except it was a lot thinner and it meant that I could wear jackets and long-sleeved outfits a lot easier, as it was more subtle. It did mean, though, that I needed to be even more careful as it was less sturdy.

Amanda came to see me around half past four that afternoon, to get me prepped for the Fifty Shades Darker premiere. I was going to be attending with Abel, as our song was the official song for the movie. I knew that was only going to cause more speculation, but I decided to shrug it off. After having a quick dinner, my stylist set straight to work, straightening my hair with her GHDs.

'How's the splint?' She asked as she unclipped another layer of hair, running it through the sleek, hot straighteners.

'It feels weird.' I replied. 'And I'm really worried I'm going to knock it and make it worse. It's supportive but it's not like I'm wearing a big, thick plaster shield.' I looked down at my wrist in its shiny leather splint, which I knew had probably cost a fortune. 'But hey, at least I'll fit in with the whole Fifty Shades of Grey thing. It's almost bondage right?'

Amanda burst out laughing, snorting as she did so. 'Oh my god, you're hilarious! Don't make me laugh again, though, because I'm worried I'll burn your ear off or something.'

I was so glad I had a lovely stylist. Eric was a bore and an arse and Jamie-Lee was pretty plain, so I was glad the rest of my team were fantastic; my band were fun and friendly and Darren at Graphics was alright, too. It made my manager a little more bearable. My phone buzzed and Amanda passed it to me. 'Nathan again, huh?'

It was. We texted quite a lot and it was quite nice having a guy friend there and looking out for me. I'd always preferred hanging out with guys to girls when I was at school, afterall. Girls could be pretty bitchy. 'Yep.' I replied to my stylist and friend.

 _Eric didn't get your arm amputated did he? Because you know, I wouldn't put it past him! N xx_

I laughed and Amanda raised an eyebrow as I text back.

 _No, just some weird leather splint. Maybe kinda bondage? Bit worried about my dress for the premiere now! xx_

'So nothing's going on between you two?' She asked, running a hairbrush gently through my hair.

'He's a good friend and it's only been three weeks. I'm not over it yet. I'm still so angry at Ed.' I frowned and shuddered at the memory of discovering the photograph. Being angry at least made it easier to get over. I wasn't mourning him, so much. I was still crying, but more at the betrayal than anything. And I'd written two new songs about it. The music was still unwritten though, thanks to my wrist.

'Just be careful.' Amanda said as she walked in front of me, ready to sort out my make-up. 'You're still fragile.'

I held up my right arm. 'In more ways than one. But, honestly, don't worry. Ed's put me off dating for a while. I'll just spend my days sat watching Disney films.'

'Sounds like a super plan.' She looked thoughtful for a while. 'Tomorrow's cover day, right? You should totally do a Disney song.'

'I should.' I smiled, liking the idea. There was a knock at the door and it was my Vlog cameraman, ready to film me getting ready. I gave him a small smile and the conversation changed to my music, as it often did when I was being filmed.

 _Bondage?! Blimey, didn't take you for that kind of girl! I look forward to seeing the photos, I think? N xx_

I blushed, tucking my phone away into my black clutchbag. The world didn't need to know about that.

Luckily, my outfit was sexy but classy. Forever Unique had sent Eric the dress, after seeing my pictures from the Brit Awards. Apparently they'd had a bit more business thanks to me, so it worked out as a plus for them. The dress reminded me a little of Elsa's from Frozen, only it was a black, darker version. It had a sweetheart bust and was completely covered in sequins, tightly around my body until just after my bum, where it fell out in a chiffon see-through black mermaid tail. The same black chiffon detailing was on the long-sleeves too, so it made my injury look a lot more subtle. I had silver dangling earrings in my ear and a chunky statement ring on the index finger of my right hand, taking some of the attention away from my wrist. My hair was pin-straight and sleek, and I had my usual winged eyeliner and red lipstick on, with black Jimmy Choos on my feet. Perfect. Amanda snapped a few photos of me on my phone and hers, so I could upload a photo to social media for the fans who seemed to be following my every move.

 _Off to the premiere of Fifty Shades Darker. #lovemeharder_

I wasn't excited to be going to the premiere. More excited about the buzz from talking to the press and walking the red carpet with people calling my names. After all, I wanted to punch the main male character and that probably wasn't going to stay well. I'd have to stay clear of the actor. Jamie something, wasn't it?

'Well don't you look fabulous!' Amanda said, clapping her hands together, whilst the camera was rolling. 'Definitely my favourite client.'

'Only client.' I corrected with a wink and she laughed, giving me a hug.

'Have a fabulous time.'

'Oh I will.' I smiled, adding silently; _I hope._

The cameraman left shortly after that, making his way to the premiere to set up some good arrival shots, and then, before I knew it, the car arrived with Abel inside. The premiere was in the Odeon in Leicester Square, as were most premieres in London, and I rested my arm on the arm-rest as we drove along.

'You look great, by the way.' Abel said, breaking the silence with a friendly smile. 'You can't even tell you've broken your wrist.'

'I think that was Eric's idea.' He sighed.

'You shouldn't put up with that crap. Have you told your label he's treating you so bad?'

'I'm not sure I can.' I replied, honestly. 'They might just drop me.'

'I very much doubt it. It would be a pretty stupid mistake.' He gave me a nodd. 'After all, you're still number one and our single is in at number two so in a way you're taking over the chart.'

'It's the craziest feeling.' I whispered, thinking about it. 'Six months ago I'd never pictured this happening. I was just a normal girl trying to make it in the industry. No one knew who I was.'

'And now they're all chanting your name.' His smile met his eyes and I couldn't help thinking that he was good-looking, although the dodgy hair was pretty off-putting. The car stopped and the driver got out. 'So, you realise they're going to think we're dating, right?'

'They think I'm dating any guy I'm seen with.' I rolled my eyes.

'Bet Ed's feeling pretty shit. Serves him right.'

I nodded. 'It does. He can look at the pictures and wonder whatever the hell he wants; that's fine with me.'

'You're firey.' He laughed. 'It's pretty cool.' The driver opened Abel's door and he nodded at me. 'Let's do this.' He climbed out of the car carefully and then held out his hand for me, helping me out. He pulled me to my feet and the flashes filled my vision, giving me the familiar adrenaline rush. Abel placed his hand gently on the small of my back as he led me up the carpet, where he signed a few pictures and posed for photos with the fans. I did the same, before we posed for the red carpet together for paparazzi.

The film itself made me angry, as I had expected. The whole idea was just completely ridiculous and it bothered me that so many women loved it. Love story or not, who wanted to be treated that way? Not me! We headed to the after party at Aqua afterwards, mingling with the actors, actresses and other celebrities, and I shared my false 'positive' comments about the film until it was time to head home. Abel and I left together, sharing the same car, although I knew the press would take this the wrong way. What they didn't know was that I laid in bed in Disney pyjamas, by myself, that night, looking at the empty space beside me until I eventually drifted into dream land.

I woke up pretty early the next day and for once, I wasn't surprised to see images of myself plastered over the web. There were photos of me alone on the red carpet and some with Abel, posing together with captions wondering if we were a couple. That also didn't surprise me. I rolled my eyes and went to get dressed, choosing to wear a black strapless top and a blue skirt for the upcoming Disney cover I'd thought about for most of the Fifty Shades premiere. The only issue was, I couldn't play guitar. Ugh.

'Hey Luce, seen the photos from last night! You look great!' Daisy said when I called her on the phone.

'Thanks love.' I said, genuinely meaning it. 'I was wondering if you were free today.'

'I'm sorry, but as it's my day off I made plans.' She apologised from the other end of the phone.

'It's okay, not to worry.'

What was I supposed to do? I frowned as I tried to find a backing track, although I knew it wasn't going to sound anywhere as good.

 _Glad you ditched the freaky bondage crap in the end last night. Looking gorgeous in that black dress! Wit-woo. N xx_

Of course. Nathan. It wasn't going to help all of the circulating rumours, no, but surely he was willing to help me out?

'Yeah, I'm around. I'll head straight over.' He said on the other end of the phone, sounding cheery.

He wasn't joking when he said straight over, either. Within half an hour, he was there, guitar over his shoulder and a cute smile on his face. 'You were clearly missing me.' He said as I let him into my flat, closing the door behind him.

'That and I was really after a favour.' I said, playfully. 'I hate not being able to play guitar. Now, instead of listening to my voice, my female fans will spend the whole video gawping at you.'

He rolled his eyes. 'Don't be ridiculous. Now, put the kettle on and we'll make a start. Have you got the sheet music?'

'Yup.' I replied as he followed me into the living room. I passed him my songbook of Disney music. 'It's lame, I know, but I was raised on Disney films.'

His eyebrows shot up. 'It's not obvious.'

'Isn't it? There's nothing I love more than wearing a princess dress.' I gave him an embarassed smile as I filled the kettle with water.

'I can see that, actually.' He gave me a lopsided smile as I turned the kettle on and turned back to face him. 'You'd be a good Disney princess. Have you ever been to Disneyland?'

'I wish.' I replied with a cheesey grin. 'It would be awesome!'

'I'll take you sometime.' He said and I knew he meant it. He unzipped his guitar case as I returned to the kitchen area to make the cups of tea. Then I heard him starting to play the notes of the song I had chosen. I just hoped it was a decision the fans would like.

That afternoon, we sat down on the sofa, ready to record it. I took a deep breath as I pressed record on my camera, angling it so you could see the both of us. 'Hey guys, here's my weekly cover. I've decided to do something a bit different today so I hope you like it and, as you can see, I'm joined by Nathan Jones who is going to be playing guitar for me today as my wrist is useless. Here it goes.'

Nathan counted me in and then started to play the chords as I sang,

 _'There you see her_

 _Sitting there across the way_

 _She don't got a lot to say_

 _But there's something about her_

 _And you don't know why_

 _But you're dying to try_

 _You wanna kiss the girl_

 _Yes, you want her_

 _Look at her, you know you do_

 _It's possible she wants you, too_

 _There is one way to ask her_

 _It don't take a word_

 _Not a single word_

 _Go on and kiss the girl_

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _My, oh, my_

 _Look at the boy too shy_

 _He ain't gonna kiss the girl_

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _Ain't that sad_

 _Ain't it shame, too bad_

 _You gonna miss the girl_

 _Now's your moment_

 _Floating in a blue lagoon_

 _Boy, you better do it soon_

 _No time will be better_

 _She don't say a word_

 _And she won't say a word_

 _Until you kiss the girl_

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _Don't be scared_

 _You got the mood prepared_

 _Go on and kiss the girl_

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _Don't stop now_

 _Don't try to hide it how_

 _You wanna kiss the girl_

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _Float along_

 _Listen to the song_

 _The song say kiss the girl_

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _Music play_

 _Do what the music say_

 _You wanna kiss the girl_

 _You've got to kiss the girl_

 _Why don't you kiss the girl_

 _You gotta kiss the girl_

 _Go on and kiss the girl.'_

I finished singing, surprised that Nathan had joined in as a backing singer, adding some harmonies to the song. It made it sound even better. We played back the video quickly and then a few minutes later, it was off onto the web.

'So how's everything?' He asked, putting his guitar back in his case.

'Fed up of this splint if that's what you mean.' I laughed.

He sighed. 'You can stop hiding everything behind a smile, you know. I'm afraid I'm not falling for it.'

'It's going to take time.' I told him, my face serious. 'But I'm still sworn off guys. Maybe I'll become a nun, that could work.'

He rolled his eyes at me before softening his look as he reached for my arm. 'I know you're scared but you have to give your heart a break. Don't let Ed ruin your chance at a happily ever after.'

The next day, I headed to the O2 arena for soundcheck with Abel, with my cameraman in tow as normal. I'd spent the morning replying to fans on social media, thanking them for their support and reading their comments on my latest cover.

 _Your voice is incredible!_

 _You're a real-life Belle! Sing a Beauty and the Beast Cover!_

 _Omg, Lathan forever! Please sing a duet!_

Most of the comments were positive, which was good, but there was a whole lot of 'Lathan' going on, which was a little weird and panicked me. I thought about it again as I waited for my microphone levels to be adjusted at soundcheck as Eric tapped his foot impatiently.

'You're doing great.' Abel reassured me, giving my manager an irritated look. 'Come on, we'll roll again from the top.'

That night, I sat nervously in my dressing room, alone as Amanda had left straight after doing my usual make-up and topping up my naturally curly hair. I was wearing my purple shoe boots from the album launch, but with a short bodycon one-sleeved black dress with a cut out waist, another look chosen by Eric that gave me apparent sex appeal. I was sat warming up my vocals as I listened to the support act on the tannoy system when there was a knock at the door. 'Yes?' I called out, pulling my dress down in an attempt to cover more of my thighs.

Abel slipped inside, a smile on his face. 'You look nice.'

'Thanks.' I replied, shyly, biting my lip nervously.

'I go on soon.' He said, stretching his arms out in front of him. 'Are you going to watch from the wings?'

'Is that okay?'

'Sure.' He smiled. 'I think Eric's gone.'

'Thank god.' I sighed. 'I've fed up of his disapproving looks.'

'I would be too.' He replied. 'Are you coming to the after party?'

'Eric said it wasn't a good idea.'

'I'll bet he did.' He nodded, giving a cheeky smile. 'And are you going to listen to him?'

I thought for a moment. 'No. No I'm not.'

'Good, it'll be a great party and I think you know some of the people coming.'

'Mate, you're on in five. We need you at the wings.' The stage manager said, appearing in the doorway.

'Sure.' He nodded, before looking over at me. 'See you out there.'

I felt kind of bad watching The Weeknd as I'd heard so very few of the songs before. I could sing along to 'I can't feel my face' and 'Earned it', but that was pretty much it. I stood there, tapping my foot along to the music, until an earpiece was placed in my ear and a glittery black microphone put into my left hand. I hated holding a mic in my left hand, it just didn't feel right. I looked at my right hand, which was mostly covered by the one sleeve of my dress, and sighed. I had five weeks of this yet. The lighting onstage changed as the familiar intro of our song started. I took a deep breath and walked out onto the stage in front of the thousands of fans filling the sold-out O2 arena.

'Lucy May, everybody!' Abel said at the end, kissing my cheek as he usually did at the end of our performance. The crowd roared and my heart pumped with adrenaline as I smiled, looking at all of the crowd. He squeezed my hand and I walked off the stage, waving at the crowd as I went.

'Great work.' Jed, Abel's manager, said high-fiving me as I walked into the wings. 'It's a shame Eric didn't stick around.' I nodded but, truthfully, I wasn't disappointed that he hadn't stuck around. I was relieved.

After the concert finished, I headed back to my dressing room, quickly checking my hair and make-up which, thankfully, was fine. I pulled my phone out of my handbag, surprised I had three text messages.

 _Good luck tonight! I'll be watching for a video on Youtube. Love you, Wills xxx_

 _Good luck today babe and I'll call you tomorrow! Lea xxx_

 _What a fabulous performance! N x_

I looked at the last message, from Nathan, puzzled. Was there a livestream or something that I didn't know about?

 _Thanks! Are you cyber-stalking me? xx_

I quickly finished my bottle of water and applied another coat of lipstick carefully, before adding some Lipcote to the top to stop it from smudging or fading.

 _Stalking in person maybe? Now are we going to this party or not? N x_

I raised my eyebrows. He was _here? Really_? I knew he liked The Weeknd. I'd caught him humming some of the songs before and he'd covered a few on Youtube. But I hadn't know he was going to be at the concert. He'd kept that one quiet. Confused, I threw on my leather jacket, grabbed my things and headed out into the hallway.

'Need a hand?' Matt was there, making me jump out of my skin.

'I thought you'd left with Eric?' I said, trying to calm myself down after nearly having a heartattack.

'Of course not. I'm your security, not his.' He tutted, shaking his head. 'If you're ready to leave then I'll call the car round. You'll get a decent night's sleep at this rate.'

I bit my lip, nervously. 'Actually, I'm going to the afterparty.'

He smirked. 'I don't think Eric will be impressed.'

'He's not impressed with whatever I do so I've given up trying.' I replied with a lopsided smile.

'You're firey. I do wonder why it is you need me. So where is the party we're going to?'

I smiled up at him. 'Sushi Samba.' I looked down the corridor and then I spotted a familiar face. 'Now you're definitely stalking me.'

Nathan ran a hand through his dark hair and gave me the cute smile that was enough to make any girl's heart melt. 'I've had tickets for ages. I was up in one of the VIP boxes.'

'You didn't tell me.'

He shrugged. 'Maybe I wanted to keep it a surprise.' It definitely was one of those. 'Now are we heading to to this party? I could do with a beer.'

Sushi Samba in London was in Heron Tower. The outside wasn't hugely exciting (although it was paparazzi-free!), but the venue was enough to take my breath away. The bar was on the 39th floor and the walls were non-existant. Instead, the whole bar was surrounded by glass windows, showing an incredible view of the city I now called home. I gasped as I admired the decor, from the red and black table booths to the tree on the already-busy terrace outside. Nathan passed me my first drink as Matt slipped off into the crowd, watching me from afar.

'I think I could get used to celebrity parties.' I said to Nathan as I sipped my cocktail and looked out at the London Skyline, from the nearby Gherkin to London Bridge. It was perfect.

'They're okay.' He shrugged, sipping at his beer. 'I think it depends who's there with you as to whether they're exciting or not.'

'Well is this exciting? Hanging out with me?' I asked, realising I sounded pretty flirtacious.

'Of course.' He replied, his face sincere.

'You'll get fed up of my company soon enough. It's lucky you're off on tour in a few weeks. Europe, right?'

He nodded. 'Yep. It's kinda delayed really, I mean it's been two months since I released my album but I'm looking forward to going to some cities I've never seen before.' He took another sip of his beer. 'Do you like to travel?'

'Absolutely.' I smiled, looking out onto the skyline again. 'I like hearing the different languages and learning about the different cultures. I have a list of places I want to go before I die.' I told him, realising I'd not even told Ed that. Maybe I was more comfortable being myself around my new friend? I wasn't sure.

He smiled and the smile reached his eyes. 'I know what you mean. There's something about going to a new place and exploring it, finding out new things. It's a big world out there.'

The Weeknd was DJ-ing that night, so we soon retired indoors to dance to the set he was performing, once the music started. The room was packed with people I recognised from the music industry and a couple of celebrities I recognised from television or film.

'Lucy!' I turned to see Gigi Hadid walking over to me, wearing a white playsuit. 'How are you?'

'I'm good.' I replied with a smile. 'What about you?'

'Not too bad! Great performance this evening by the way! Taylor didn't say you were going to be at the concert.'

'It was a bit of a last minute decision.' I replied.

'Well you look totally hot. I'll catch you later, okay?' She kissed my cheek and disappeared off, leaving me at the bar with Nathan.

'Are you trying to get me drunk?' I asked with a raised eyebrow, sipping my drink.

'Not at all.' He grinned.

'Mmm this is good. You have a gift for choosing cocktails I'd like.' I smiled as I finished the last of my second cocktail, placing the empty glass down on the bar.

'So it seems.' He gave me a sexy crooked smile and I chided myself for thinking of the word 'sexy.' He was my friend. How inappropriate.

 _'I be on my suit and tie, shit tied, shit tied_

 _I be on my suit and tie, shit tied, shit_

 _Can I show you a few things, a few things, a few things, little baby?_

 _'Cause..._

 _I be on my suit and tie, shit tied, shit_

 _I be on my suit and tie, shit tied, shit_

 _Let me show you a few things_

 _Let me show you a few things.'_

'I love this song!' I practically squealed, singing along to the lyrics. _'I can't wait 'til I get you on the floor, good-looking, Going hot, so hot, just like an oven.'_

'Why don't you go and dance?' Nathan asked after finishing his beer.

'Because of this stupid thing.' I signalled to my wrist.

'A broken wrist doesn't stop you dancing.' He shook his head. 'Stop letting it hold you back.'

 _'And as long as I got my suit and tie_

 _I'ma leave it all on the floor tonight_

 _And you got fixed up to the nines_

 _Let me show you a few things_

 _All pressed up in black and white_

 _And you dressed in that dress I like_

 _Love is swinging in the air tonight_

 _Let me show you a few things.'_

'Well then, I'm not dancing by myself.' Before I could say anything else, he grabbed my left hand and pulled me onto the dancefloor.

 _'Let me show you a few things_

 _Show you a few things about love_

 _Now we're in the swing of love_

 _Let me show you a few things_

 _Show you a few things about love_

 _Hey.'_

We danced to a few more songs beside each other, our bodies far enough apart so that I didn't panic. It was completely innocent. Just friends. Although part of me had wondered what would happen if our bodies had touched. I shook off the thought, cursing myself for being so ridiculous. 'Can we get some air?' I asked Nathan as my face felt flushed.

'Sure.' He smiled. He guided me outside, his hand gently on the small of my back in an almost protective gesture. The cool air hit me as soon as we were outside and I shrugged my leather jacket back on, protecting my bare shoulder. I realised I hadn't thought of Ed all evening and I wondered if that was a good thing? Maybe it meant I was finally starting to move past it. Or maybe not. I was pretty sure that I would freak out if he walked into the room.

'Wouldn't it be cool to live up here?' Nathan said, interrupting my thoughts.

'Absolutely.' I sighed, looking at the city filled with lights. I wondered how the city would have looked just over a week ago, when it was filled with darkness, only lit by the fire in Westminster. The thought made me shudder.

'Are you cold?' He asked, putting his arm around my shoulder, casually. It filled me with warmth and I realised how much I'd missed someone holding me. I glanced over at him and realised he was watching me with a look I couldn't quite decipher. His eyes met mine and he moved towards me and I wondered if he was going to kiss me. I felt worried and sick. Then the dizziness started. I wobbled and he grabbed me. 'Lucy, are you okay?'

I knew what was coming, but he didn't. I'd not told him about this ability. I swayed a little.

 _And then I was there again, in the street, the street I'd seen before. I walked along it, smelling smoke and looking around, desperately trying to work out what language was on the signs. The air was warm and I knew I was somewhere in southern Europe. A few people hurried past me, running away from the fire._

'Lucy?'

My vision returned and I realised that Nathan was holding me up, stopping me from falling. The party guests around me seemed oblivious, thank god. I moved backwards. 'Sorry.' I apologised, my heart trying to return to normal. I could still smell the smoke.

'You just passed out.' He said, looking at me with a worried expression.

'Well.. sort of.' I replied, nervously, biting my lip.

'What just happened?' Matt asked, suddenly at my side.

'She passed out.' Nathan said, furrowing his brow.

'I'll call the car right away. We have to get you home.'

'I'm fine.' I replied, shrugging it off.

'No.' Both men chorused and I knew that I wasn't going to get anywhere. It was pointless.

I was surprised that the paparazzi were still absent when I left and I let out a sigh of relief. This time, Eric wasn't going to know I'd disobeyed him. It didn't take long to get back to my apartment, and we were soon there.

'Would you like a hand getting upstairs?' Matt asked as we pulled into the carpark for my small block of flats.

'I keep saying I'm fine.' I grumbled, shaking my heads. 'Honestly, I'm completely normal.'

'I'm worried about you being up there by yourself.'

'I'll stay with her.' Nathan said, surprising me. He turned to me. 'What if it happens again?'

'It won't.' I said, before adding, silently. _I hope._

'Good idea.' Matt nodded as Nathan opened the car door. 'Let me know if you need anything.'

I didn't say anything as I walked up to the top floor, where my flat was. I turned the key in the door and Nathan followed me in, locking the door behind him. Then I walked over to the kettle, filling it and turning it on.

'Shouldn't I be doing that?'

'How many times do I have to say I'm fine?' I sighed, kicking off my heels and draping my jacket over the back of one of the dining table chairs.

'In case you didn't realise, you _passed_ out.'

'But not because I was ill!' I said, dramatically. I'd had enough of the fussing. 'I had a vision, okay?'

'A vision?' He looked at me, confused. 'Are you sure that you weren't hallucinating?'

'I'm sure. It's happened before and then my vision came true.' I paused for a second, whilst I poured the boiled water into the teacups. 'It's one of my abilities.'

Nathan's expression turned from concern to curosity. 'So you can, like, see the future?'

I think so.' I nodded, biting my lip nervously. I passed him a teacup and then grabbed mine, moving to sit on the sofa. 'It's so weird.'

'I'll bet.' He sat down beside me. 'And what happened in your vision?'

My brows furrowed together as I looked up at him. 'There was another fire.'

I went to bed almost immediately after drinking my cup of tea, with Nathan crashed out on the sofa bed. Exhausted from the performance, I fell asleep straight away in my new lace-covered white pyjama shorts and grey vest top.

 _I was walking past Kensington palace and the air was getting warmer. No one was around, which was weird, because it was a beautiful evening. I smiled as the birds sang in the trees and a couple of squirrels hurried past my feet with their food. I paused, looking up at the palace before I continued the route to my flat, walking down the familiar alley way. That was when I heard footsteps. I quickened my pace and so did the person following me. I found myself sprinting, as fast as I could, and then I was shoved against the wall. I looked at the eyes inside the hood._

 _'Rich.'_

 _'It's great to see you again beautiful.'_

 _'Get off of me!' I shrieked as his hands started wandering up my skirt._

 _'You love it.'_

I sat up in bed with a scream, tears streaming down my cheeks and my heart hammering against my chest. I felt like I was going to throw up.

'Lucy?!' Nathan was in my room in seconds, stood there in just his boxers. I blinked, surprised that he wasn't dressed but I wasn't in the mood to stare at his body. I looked down, feeling embarassed that, once again, I'd woken him up.

'Sorry.' I breathed, taking deep breaths to slow down my heart rate. I ran my hand through my hair, which was probably messy enough anyway.

'Bad dream?' He asked, sitting down on my bed beside me.

I nodded. 'It was nothing.'

'It doesn't look like nothing.' His worried eyes met mine and he wiped a tear off of my cheek with his thumb. His touch set electric shocks across my skin. 'Tell me about it.' He whispered his plead as his hand moved down to my arm.

I took a deep breath and held back the tears as I told him the inspiration behind my number one hit, _Skyscraper._ I told him all about Rich and the bad treatment I'd been given. I told him about the confrontation in Brighton a couple of months back and I told him what he'd said to me, specifically. He sat and listened, without saying a word, as he gently caressed my arm.

'I've not had the best luck with guys, have I?' I sighed, running my hand through my hair again. 'I'm sorry, but your gender are jerks.'

'Like I've said before, we're not all like that.' He whispered, squeezing my shoulder. 'I promise.'

'Promises are made to be broken.' I sighed, climbing back under my duvet to lie down. He stood up, but I stopped him. 'Can you stay in here? If you don't mind of course? You just helped me get back to sleep last time.'

He nodded and gave me a small smile, climbing into bed beside me. I felt his warmth as he ran his fingers gently up and down my spine and, before long, I was fast asleep again.

I woke up the next day, surprised to feel his body pressed against mine and his arm firmly around my waist, almost protectively. I rolled over and he stirred, gently opening his eyes.

'Morning.' He mumbled, looking at me, his arm still around my waist.

I looked at his face and felt irritated that he still looked cute, even when he had only just woken up. 'Morning.'

'Did you sleep better?' He whispered, his voice soft.

'Yes thank you.' I replied, subtly trying to glance at the tattoo I'd just spotted on the left side of his chest.

'What time is it?'

'Just after ten.'

'Ah, shit!' He cursed, jumping up. 'I've got to be at the studio in an hour!' And then he was gone.

Other than the odd interview, the next two weeks were pretty quiet on my schedule and part of me wished that I'd flown out to visit my parents and Willow. I promised myself that I would go to them over Easter, which was what usually happened. I spent the time catching up with my friends, including Leanne, Adriana and even Greg. I'd done well avoiding Ed. That was, until Eric called me into Warner Records for our monthly update meeting on March 9th.

'Hi Lucy, go on down.' The receptionist, Clara, told me with a friendly smile when I arrived that morning in my Nashville cowboy boots, blue denim jeans and a cream blouse; I was embracing the spring-like March weather.

'Thanks Clara. Love the dress by the way.' I said, smiling at the red-headed receptionist.

'Thanks!'

I shrugged off my baggy cardigan, draping it over my over-sized shopper bag and I walked down the corridor, straight into the person I'd been avoiding since the break-up. 'Sorry.' I said, stepping backwards. 'I wasn't looking where I was going.' I looked up at him and realised he looked the same as always, in his jeans and a hoodie, his ginger hair dishevelled. I knew he looked no different, because he was often in the papers, rolling out of a club at a crazy time in the morning, often with a girl. It had irritated me at first, but now I was used to it.

'I wasn't looking either.' He replied. He suddenly glanced up at me with the familiar steely blue eyes. 'You're looking well.'

'Thanks.' I nodded, running the fingers of my left hand over my splint, which had another two weeks according to the doctor; apparently my bones were good at healing quickly. 'You too.'

'Lucy!' I heard Eric's voice and for once I was thankful he was calling me.

'Erm, see you around.' I said, slipping past Ed and making my way to my manager's office.

The meeting started off as normal; talking over the hits on my website, any publicity I was getting and any upcoming events over the next few weeks. It was all pretty same-old and I was relieved that I was being given some studio time to write and record new songs. I'd written a few of those recently.

'So _Skyscraper_ 's down to number nine but _Love me Harder_ is still doing well at number two.' Jamie-Lee said, checking her perfectly-manicured nails. 'We could release a new song soon.'

'We will.' Eric nodded. 'But I'm going to wait until next month for that. Lucy, we've got you a support place on a European tour.'

'You have?' My eyes widened and I blinked, surprised. I was going to see Europe?!

'Yes. We had a call yesterday from Nathan Jones' manager about a last minute spot on the tour. Apparently Fifth Harmony pulled out because of an injury or something? Of course we said yes as it'll do great for your publicity and the fans seem to be loving Lathan at the moment.' Eric explained and I winced at his use of 'Lathan'. Really? 'Of course, all of the band are going, it's in their contract. It starts two weeks today.'

'Where are we going on the tour?'

He didn't reply. Instead, he handed me a schedule and I scanned the list.

 _March 23rd- Paris, France._

 _March 26th- Antwerp, Belgium_

 _March 27th- Amsterdam, Netherlands_

 _March 29th- Oslo, Norway_

 _March 30th- Stockholm, Sweden_

 _April 1st- Frankfurt, Germany_

 _April 3rd- Milan, Italy_

 _April 5th- Madrid, Spain_

 _April 9th- London, United Kingdom_

I'd be finished just in time for Easter. 'I'm away for Easter.' I told Eric. It wasn't a request, it was a demand. 'I've booked my flights to see my family.' I lied. I hadn't booked them yet.

'Fine.' He shrugged. 'But you're going to go on this tour and rock Europe's socks off. Amanda will start looking for some outfits for you right away, although she isn't able to make the tour so I'll be sending a replacement. A bit irritated that she booked a holiday without telling me. Very unprofessional.'

I looked at the tour dates again and then my vision filled my mind; one of the cities would be where the fine happened but, the question was, which one?


	17. Paris

'I can't believe we're going on tour!' Daisy squealed as the British Airways plane flew through the sky on March 23rd, heading for Paris. It was 8am and I groaned at her excitement. For me, it was still too early. I looked at my wrist, with a support slipped over it. I didn't need the splint any more, but I'd still been told to keep it supported whenever possible as it would still take a bit of time to heal completely.

I glanced over at Jake and Jesse, who were fast asleep in the row beside us. 'Why can't you be asleep like those two?'

'Aren't you excited?! We're going to see _Europe!_ '

Oh I was excited. Very. I'd hardly slept the night before. But, I was also nervous. I glanced out at the blue sky and clouds we were flying above, knowing that we would be in Paris soon. Nathan and his team were already there, setting up for the concert that night and squeezing in last minute rehearsals. 'I am excited.' I told my friend. 'But it's pretty scary! Our first tour!'

'We'll have great fun!'

'I'd agree if kill-joy wasn't with us.' I signalled over to where Eric was sleeping with Matt beside him, watching something on his laptop.

'Don't let him ruin it for you.' My friend said, tying her newly-dyed bright red hair into a ponytail. 'We're going to have a great time and the first stop is Paris! I've always wanted to go to Paris!'

I smiled. 'Paris is always a good idea.'

'Amen to that Audrey.'

We headed straight from the airport to our hotel, checking into our rooms and then grabbing a quick lunch before heading out again to the Zenith de Paris venue, our outfits in dressbags over our shoulders.

'Do you think we'll get to see Paris?' Daisy asked Jesse as we walked into the venue.

'Who knows.' Jesse shrugged back at her.

I didn't know, either. I hoped so. Our flight to Antwerp wasn't until early morning on the 26th, so that gave us two days with no plans. That I knew of. 'Woah.' I gasped, catching sight of just how many seats were in the venue.

'How many seats is that?' Jake asked from behind me, his voice nervous.

'I think I read 6,000 mate.' Jesse replied and I simply just blinked.

'Lucy!' Nathan walked over to me and pulled me into a hug. 'Great to see you.'

'You too.' I smiled, although I'd seen him the previous week. He hugged Daisy and then shook hands with Jake and Jesse.

'Are you guys excited?'

'Yes!' My band chorused and I just nodded, nervously.

'Lucy, band, you're up! Come on, we haven't got long for soundcheck!' Eric called from across the venue and I sighed. No time to chat, obviously.

That night, I sat in my dressing room with Daisy as an unfamiliar girl did my make-up and hair. She didn't say anything to me at all, but the make-up was similar to how Amanda always did it and she'd left my hair in loose curls, again like Amanda. I sighed with relief as I looked in the mirror; my hair and make-up looked good and my first outfit for tour consisted of some leather high-waisted shorts, a cream chiffon blouse and my usual shoe boots. I added a statement necklace and checked my appearance in the mirror; it would do fine. I looked down at the beige-coloured support on my wrist and decided I'd keep it on for the concert instead of risking damaging it straight away.

'You look great.' Daisy told me with a smile. 'I'm going to get changed and then I'll be right back.' She grabbed her clothes and disappeared out of the dressing room, going to the bathroom.

I sat down on the sofa, looking longily at Daisy's guitar. It was still too early to play. Instead, I warmed up my vocal chords with an acapella version of one of my favourite songs. ' _Beauty queen of only eighteen she had some trouble with herself. He was always there to help her, she always belonged to someone else. I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door. I've had you so many times but somehow I want more. I don't mind spending every day out on your corner in the pouring rain.'_

The door opened and I stopped singing as Nathan stuck his head around the corner. 'Sorry, I did knock but I guess you didn't hear me.' He said with his signature smile.

'Sorry.' I apologised, grabbing my bottle of water. I unscrewed the lid and took a quick sip.

'It's alright.' He perched himself on the arm of the sofa I was sat on. 'So are we still going ahead with our cover tonight?'

I nodded. 'Eric's hardly going to complain. I hope.'

'He needs to get over himself.' Nathan shook his head. 'How are you feeling?'

'Nervous.' I replied, honestly. I bit my lip.

There was a knock on the door and the stage manager stuck his head around the doorframe. '5 minutes Lucy. We need you in the wings.' I stood up and took a deep breath, trying to swallow the bile rising in my throat.

'Hey,' Nathan said, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. 'You are going to be great.'

Daisy, Jake and Jesse walked onto the stage, giving me a high-five as they passed, walking on in the darkness. I fiddled with the microphone in my hand, nervously, as my heart hammered in my chest. Then the introduction of _Heartattack_ filled the stage and it was time to walk on. After the applause and incredible audience response to _Heartattack_ , my nerves started to disappear and I felt a lot more relaxed as I moved around the stage, singing and dancing, squeezing the hands of the fans in the front row. Before I knew it, it was time for my final song.

 _' Like a Skyscraper.'_ I held onto the last note and the crowd applauded, sending adrenaline pumping through my veins. 'Thank you, Paris, you've been amazing!' I took a bow and then disappeared off the stage.

'That was awesome!' Jesse said, high-fiving each of us.

I, instead, pulled everyone in for a hug. 'A great opening night of tour guys, well done!'

'I need a drink, I'm on fire.' Daisy said, putting her guitar back into her case.

'I'll come with you.' Jake said, following her off.

'Great work, girl.' Jesse said, nudging me with his hip. 'Fancy grabbing a drink after?'

'You were awesome!' Nathan said, pulling me into a hug. Jesse frowned and walked off, leaving the two of us in the wings.

'Aren't you about to go on?' I laughed as he released me.

'Yes, but I wanted to say congratulations on a rocking performance before I went on.' He shot me a lopsided smile as he was called over by his stage manager. 'Show time.' He whispered to me before disappearing off.

I stayed in the wings, watching as the lights dimmed and the fangirls started to scream hysterically. And then a spotlight went on centre stage, where Nathan was suddenly stood in his black skinny jeans, converse and a grey v-neck t-shirt, his guitar slung over his shoulder. His hands ran over the chords, showing the muscles on his arms. Then he started to sing.

 _'Tried to keep you close to me,_

 _But life got in between_

 _Tried to square not being there_

 _But think that I should've been_

 _Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes_

 _Hold back the river, so I_

 _Can stop for a minute and see where you hide_

 _Hold back the river, hold back_

 _Once upon a different life_

 _We rode our bikes into the sky_

 _But now we're caught against the tide_

 _Those distant days all flashing by_

 _Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes_

 _Hold back the river, so I_

 _Can stop for a minute and be by your side_

 _Hold back the river, hold back.'_

'You're on in ten, Lucy.' Nathan's manager told me a couple of songs later. 'It's time to get changed.'

I slipped off back to my dressing room, changing into the outfit for the cover song; something more girly. The dress was baby blue with a lace top, plunging v-neck line and a skater skirt with netting underneath. I teamed it with my silver wedges, took off my wrist support and quickly fixed my hair before returning to the side of the stage. I was given a microphone almost straight away and my earpiece was reconnected.

'Thank you Paris, you're incredible!' Nathan said as he finished his song, causing more screams. 'Okay, I'm going to sing a cover next so if you know the words please feel free to singalong.' He handed his guitar over to a member of the stagecrew and his band took over, playing the intro. I took a deep breath and walked onto the stage, singing.

 _'I really wanna stop_

 _But I just got the taste for it_

 _I feel like I could fly with the boy on the moon.'_ I reached Nathan and gave him a smile as he took over the vocals.

 _'So honey hold my hand, you like making me wait for it_

 _I feel like I could die walking up to the room, oh yeah.'_

We turned to face each other as the vocals shifted back to me. _'Late night, watching television.'_

 _'But how'd we get in this position?'_

Nathan took his microphone out of the stand as we continued as a duet, our voices fitting together like a perfect harmony. _'It's way too soon, I know this isn't love_

 _But I need to tell you something_

 _I really really really really really really like you_

 _And I want you. Do you want me? Do you want me too?_

 _I really really really really really really like you_

 _And I want you. Do you want me? Do you want me too?_

 _Oh, did I say too much?_

 _I'm so in my head_

 _When we're out of touch_

 _I really really really really really really like you_

 _And I want you. Do you want me? Do you want me too?'_

 _'It's like everything you say is a sweet revelation_

 _All I wanna do is get into your head.'_ Nathan sang, reaching for my head.

 _'Yeah we could stay alone, you and me, in this temptation_

 _Sipping on your lips, hanging on by thread, baby.'_ I slowly circled him as I sang until I was back facing him again. _'Late night, watching television.'_

 _'But how'd we get in this position?'_

 _'It's way too soon, I know this isn't love_

 _But I need to tell you something_

 _I really really really really really really like you_

 _And I want you. Do you want me? Do you want me too?_

 _I really really really really really really like you_

 _And I want you. Do you want me? Do you want me too?'_ We jumped up and down, moving across the stage in seperate directions. _'Oh, did I say too much?_

 _I'm so in my head_

 _When we're out of touch (When we're out of touch)_

 _I really really really really really really like you_

 _And I want you. Do you want me? Do you want me too?'_

We met in the middle again as I started the bridge. _'Who gave you eyes like that?_

 _Said you could keep them?'_

Nathan reached for my right hand, holding it gently in his and I tried not to act surprised, even though we hadn't done this in rehearsals. _'I don't know how to act_

 _Or if I should be leaving.'_

 _'I'm running out of time_

 _Going out of my mind.'_ The lyrics seemed pretty true as I sang them. Why was my hand tingling in this as he held it?

 _'I need to tell you something_

 _Yeah, I need to tell you something.'_ He sang into my eyes and I knew suddenly how all of the fangirls in the room felt.

I tried to act unphased, joining him again for the chorus. _'I really really really really really really like you.'_ He spun me around and I tried not to laugh as I continued to sing. _'And I want you. Do you want me? Do you want me too?_

 _I really really really really really really like you.'_ We danced together, my hand still firmly in this. _'And I want you. Do you want me? Do you want me too?_

 _Oh, did I say too much? (Did I say too much?)_

 _I'm so in my head (I'm so in my head)_

 _When we're out of touch (When we're out of touch!)_

 _I really really really really really really like you_

 _And I want you. Do you want me? Do you want me too?'_

The song ended and we were closer together than we had been when we rehearsed. Nathan hugged me and kissed my cheek before turning back to face the crowd. 'The incredible Lucy May everybody.'

'Thank you.' I said with a smile and then I disappeared off the stage as my heart pumped quickly in my chest. What the hell had just happened?

'Luce, are you still awake?' Daisy whispered late that night when we were back in our twin room at the hotel.

'Yes.' I whispered back the reply. I wasn't sure I wanted to sleep. Sleep worried me. I never knew if I was going to have a good dream or a nightmare, and the latter scared me.

'Do you ever miss Ed?'

'Not as much as I used to.' I replied, turning to face her, although I could hardly see her face in the darkness. 'Do you miss Hunter?' They'd broken up at the beginning of the month and she'd been pretty miffed at the time, but hadn't explained what had happened. It left me feeling curious about the whole incident.

'I don't think I do. Is that bad?'

'Not at all.' I said, giving her a small smile. 'It means you're ready to move on.'

'Do you think you're ready to move on?' She asked and I was surprised that Nathan's face filled my mind when she asked the question.

'I'm not sure. I guess I won't know until something happens.'

The next day, we had breakfast downstairs with Nathan and his band, whilst the managers and rest of the team were elsewhere. The continental breakfast was delicious in our Four Star hotel and I was glad to get some food in me. I was starving.

'So what are the plans for today?' Daisy asked me and I simply just shrugged.

'I assumed we were exploring Paris.' Nathan replied. 'After all, it's on your bucket list, isn't it Lu?'

It was. But how did he know? 'Erm... yes.'

'Jake? Jesse? Are you in?'

'I've got plans.' Jesse replied, quickly, winking at one of Nathan's back-up singers. Of course he had.

'I'll come.' Jake shrugged. 'Be nice to see some of Paris, right?'

Knowing what the plans now were, we headed upstairs to get changed into something a little more Paris Chic. As I rooted through my suitcase, I glanced up in surprise at Daisy's outfit; a black dress with red flowers on it, lacey tights, ballet pumps and a red cardigan. It was very girly. And very unlike Daisy.

'Are you feeling okay?' I asked her, pulling out my black with the full skirt and the bow at the back.

'Yes, why?' She replied, puzzled, turning on her straightners and pulling her eyeliner out of her bag.

'You don't do floral usually.'

'I thought it was a cute dress.' She shrugged. 'Why? Does it not look okay?'

'It looks lovely.' I smiled. 'I'll just get changed.' I slipped into the bathroom, throwing on my dress, which made my waist look tiny. I quickly checked my make-up, which was fine, and ran some mousse through my natural curls, hoping I looked okay. I slipped on my black ballet pumps and a red cropped cardigan.

'You look lovely too.' Daisy told me with a smile as I grabbed my handbag. 'Trying to impress?'

'Trying to be chic.' I corrected with a wink. 'Now come on, let's go.'

The boys were already in the lobby downstairs by the time we were ready, and I noticed that they hadn't changed, not that they needed to. Nathan was wearing a black v-neck shirt, a grey jacket, black skinny jeans and boots, whereas Jake was dressed in a black and white striped t-shirt, leather jacket, jeans and converse.

'Are we off somewhere fancy?' Jake asked as we reached them.

'No, but it's Paris, one of the fashion capitals of the world!' Daisy replied, tutting at him.

'Paris Chic.' I added with a smile.

Jake rolled his eyes. 'Nate, what's with girls? I'll never get them.'

Nathan just smiled. 'Let's go.'

We started our day in Montemart, one of the neighbourhoods of Paris. As Nathan had been before, he was acting as our tourguide and he walked us up the hill after the car had dropped us off. Luckily, the sun was shining, so we walked through the crowds in our shades like 'normal' people, hoping we wouldn't be recognised. At the end of the cobbled street, we found ourselves at Sacré Coeur Basilica, the Sacred Heart of Paris. The white-domed building was a Roman Catholic Church often show in the guidebooks. We walked along the steps and then paused.

'Oh my.' I whispered, looking out at the incredible view of Paris in front of us, the Eiffel Tower rising from the buildings in the distance. With the clear view, you could see for miles.

'This is incredible!' Daisy squealed, pulling out her camera and snapping photos.

'It's so beautiful.' I said, still in disbelief. I wondered what it would be like to watch the sunset from up there, watching the sun disappear behind the city.

'I actually wrote a song up here.' Nathan said from beside me, a smile playing on his lips.

'Really?' I replied, surprised. 'Which one?'

'Listen to the Man.' He said. 'It's completely random, I know.'

'Well it's a pretty inspirational view. I could stay here all day.'

'Me too, but we've only got today to see the city.'

'What are we doing tomorrow then?'

'If I told you that I'd have to kill you.' He grinned. I looked down the steps, where Jake and Daisy were joking around together. Nathan followed my line of vision. 'If I didn't know any better, I'd say they're an item.'

'Oh, they've always been like this.' I replied as my bandmates posed for a picture together.

'They definitely like each other more than friends, Lu.' He said, nudging me gently with with arm. 'And we are in Paris, the most romantic city in the world. Who knows what will happen?'

We passed Moulin Rouge on our way down the hill, only stopping in the Red Light District for a quick photograph outside. Then, we caught the metro to the Arc de Triomphe, stopping for a few photos before deciding to walk up Avenue Kléber in the direction of the River Seine. I linked arms with Daisy, walking with her a couple of metres behind the guys so that I could find out what on earth was going on.

'So spill.' I said, coming out with it as we walked up the street, beside the tree-lined road.

'I have no idea what you're talking about.' She replied, her voice a higher-pitch than normal.

'Yes you do! You and Jake! Spill!'

She sighed. 'I should have told you.'

'You're right, you should have.'

'I guess I've always liked him as more than a friend, you know? And then he kissed me when I was with Hunter so Hunter and I broke up and now I just don't know what's going on.' She frowned. 'Guys are so confusing.'

'Tell me about it.' I sighed. 'We are far less complicated. Maybe we should just be lesbians? At least we'd understand who we were going out with then.'

'I think that's a good idea.'

At the end of the road, after a half an hour walk, we found ourselves at Palais de Chaillot, looking at the incredible Eiffel Tower. In somehow didn't look real as we stood there, looking up at it and I wondered if I was dreaming.

'We've got tickets to go up there in an hour and a half.' Nathan said with a smile. 'Shall we grab some lunch first? There's a great brasserie here that my mum used to take me to.'

'Sounds good.' I smiled and Daisy nodded in agreement.

We found ourselves sat on the terrace, on wicker chairs, watching the world go by in a perfectly Parisian cafe. The waitress came and took our drink orders, before returning to collect our orders for food. She started with me and suddenly I was glad I had a GCSE in French. I was actually not too bad at the language.

'Je voudrais le Croque Monsieur s'il vous plait.' I said to the waitress and she smiled, whilst everyone else at my table looked surprised. She took their orders too, Nathan ordering in French like I had, and then disappeared back inside the cafe.

'Parlez-vous français?' Nathan asked, sounding impressed.

I smiled. 'Un petit peu.'

He smiled and then laughed at the confused expressions our friends were giving us.

After eating and finishing our drinks, we headed straight back to Palais de Chaillot, snapping photos of the Eiffel tower. We walked through the open space of Jardins du Trocadéro, watching the fountains shooting into the air in front of the famous landmark. We all took off our sunglasses and snapped some photos together, using the selfie stick. Daisy and I posed together, spinning in circles and hugging each other, with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Then I snapped a few shots of her with Jake and couldn't help but think they would be a cute couple if one of them only did something about it. Then, Daisy decided that Nathan and I needed a photo. We stood side-by-side, his arm around my shoulders and Daisy tutted.

'You look like you hate each other.' She rolled her eyes. 'What happened to the friendliness in last night's performance?'

The more than friendliness, I wanted to correct her but decided not to.

'You want us to dance again?' Nathan asked, cheekily. 'Well if you insist.' He put one arm on my waist and took my left hand in the other, leading me in a dance. He twirled me and pulled me back in, his eyes looking deep into mine, as if he were looking into my soul. My heart fluttered as he pulled me closer.

'Much better!' Daisy called, interrupting us. 'Now let's go climb that tower!'

Nathan let go of me and I blushed, slipping my sunglasses on as we followed my bandmates across the bridge, over the River Seine. The Eiffel Tower gave us another beautiful view of the city and I took far too many photographs from each floor. The city was truly magical and I knew why Audrey Hepburn had famously said, 'Paris is always a good idea.' The day ended with a meal in the hotel restaurant and then we all headed up to bed for an early night, which I really needed after a long day.

After packing up my suitcase, I climbed into bed, flicking through the photos from the day. I looked at the ones Daisy had taken of Nathan and I dancing and they were natural and cute. I sighed. Was it because I was missing Ed? Was I trying to rebound? It didn't matter. We were just friends. I looked over at my red-headed band mate, realising she had a big grin on her face.

'What's up with you?' I laughed.

'Jake is taking me into the city tomorrow, just the two of us.' She smiled and I was happy for her. 'I hope it's a date.'

'It sounds like one.' I reassured her, and then I found myself asleep.

I was woken up early the next day by knocking on the door. I padded across the carpet, opening it to see that no one was there. Instead, there was a box with my name written on it. I carried it inside, placing it carefully on my bed. It was pretty heavy.

'What's going on?' Daisy mumbled.

'I'm not sure.' I replied, sitting on the bed with crossed legs.

'What's that?' Her eyes were open and she sat up in bed, looking at the box. 'Are you going to open it?'

I carefully opened the envelope stuck to the top, reading out the letter so that Daisy knew what it said. " _Rise and shine! Sorry to wake you up early but we're off on an adventure. Meet me downstairs at 8am wearing these! Nate x"_

'Oooh, exciting! What is it?!'

I opened the box carefully, moving the tissue paper, and I gasped as I held up the sequin Minnie Mouse Ears. And then I saw the shoes; white Vans decorated with The Little Mermaid and a shell pattern. They were adorable.

'You're going to Disneyland!' Daisy squealed, clapping her hands together. 'You have to be!'

'This is crazy!' I grinned like a child. 'What on earth am I going to wear?'

'Black skater skirt, tights and that red lace vest top you have. Oh, and your leather jacket. Now quick, go shower, you only have thirty minutes.'

I didn't hesitate to get ready. I showered quickly, glad that I'd washed my hair the night before. I applied some product to my curls and then moved onto make-up, applying my own subtle eyeshadow, winged eye-liner, mascara and no lipstick. I slipped on my shoes, tying them and tucking in the laces, whilst Daisy packed my small black satchel for me. 'How do I look?'

'Something's missing.' She winked, handing me my Minnie Mouse ears. I slipped them on and she smiled. 'Much better.'

Nathan was already in the lobby when I got there, wearing black skinny jeans, a black v-neck and a red baseball jacket. I looked down at his feet and realised he was also wearing Disney Vans, except his were grey with mickey mouse on them. 'Good morning.' He smiled. 'Nice ears.'

'Thanks, I found them outside my room this morning.'

'I'm glad the shoes fit.' He commented, signalling to my feet. 'Amanda told me your size.'

'That sneaky woman.' I tutted. I glanced over to see Matt standing awkwardly. 'Matt, are you coming to Disneyland too?'

'Afraid so.' He frowned, making me laugh.

'Now you can't make that face, it's the happiest place on earth!'

We caught the RER train to Disneyland from Paris and it took us 45mins, so we'd arrived by the time we'd eaten our pastries and drank our coffee from the patisserie next to the train station. Not wanting to cramp our style, Matt said in the row in front of us, playing on his tablet. I couldn't help feeling bad for him; he'd be assigned to keep me safe and that meant he had to go somewhere he really didn't want to go to. As soon as we got there, Nathan handed over my ticket and I struggled to contain my excitement as I used it to get through the automatic ticket barriers.

'Mr Jones, Miss May, welcome!' An employee said with a friendly smile as we walked into Guest Services. 'I hope you have a wonderful day with us. I have some VIP wristbands for you, so that you'll be able to skip all of the queues for the whole day.' She handed us each a wristband and then looked at my chunky security guard in his all-black, with an earpiece in his ear. 'Are you with them sir?'

'Yes, this is Matt, our security guard.' Nathan explained with a smile that made the woman all flustered. I ignored it, fixing my wristband tightly around my left wrist, as I'd decided to wear the support on my right one.

'In which case I will give you one as well sir.' The woman said with a smile, passing Matt the wristband. He clipped it around his chunky wrist and nodded. 'I hope you all have a wonderful day and let a cast member know if you need anything at all!'

Our adventure started on Main Street and we walked up it as a few faces turned our way. Unfortunately, the sun wasn't shining, which made it difficult to wear sunglasses without drawing attention to ourselves. Nevertheless, we smiled at people who recognised us and said hello, and they didn't ask for photos in return. Our first stop was Cinderella's castle, where we posed for a few pictures together, Matt being our personal photographer, and then we headed to Frontierland.

'Thank you so much for bringing me here.' I said to Nathan as we walked through the VIP entrance of Big Thunder Mountain. Matt had decided to leave us to it, so he was waiting outside, giving us some privacy (and holding my Minnie Mouse ears).

'You're welcome. You were saying you'd never been.' He said, shooting me the cute smile that had made the customer services lady get all flustered.

We reached the cast member by the carriages and she quickly checked our wristbands before letting us on the next available carriage. The handrail came down over our laps and the two girls in front of us turned around, looking at us with recognition. We just smiled in response and they turned back to face the front of the train as the ride started. We disappeared into a cave straight away and I was surprised by how many people screamed as we sped along. It wasn't _that_ bad.

We spent the morning on the rides and then we headed to Auberge de Cendrillon. After filling up on food, we met the characters, posing with the Disney Princesses and a very flirtacious Gaston, before heading back for more rides. The day zoomed by and, before long, it was dark and time for the fireworks. We found ourselves a good spot to stand in, whilst Matt grabbed himself a drink in the nearby coffee shop. The air had cooled off, so I folded my arms, trying to keep myself warm as we waited for the show to start.

'Have you had a good day?' Nathan asked with a smile as the lights dimmed, only leaving the castle in light. Fairy dust lights decorated the castle and the crowd 'oooed'.

'It's been incredible, thank you.' I replied, returning the smile. Music filled the air; songs from the Lion King, Brave and all of the other Disney songs I could think of. Then, one of my favourites came on and I couldn't help singing along. ' _All those days watching from the windows, all those years outside looking in, all that time never even knowing just how blind I've been.'_

It changed to Flynn and I looked at Nathan in surprise as he sang along, ' _now she's here, shining in the starlight, now she's here, suddenly I know. If she's here, it's crystal clear, I'm where I'm meant to go.'_

I smiled as we sang together, ' _And at last I see the light and it's like the fog has lifted, and at last I see the light and it's like the sky is new, and it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted. All at once everything looks different now that I see you. Now that I see you.'_

Fireworks exploded around us as our eyes were fixed to each other and he moved towards me, wrapping his arm around my waist.

'Oh my god! It's Nathan Jones and Lucy May!' A girl behind us gasped and I cursed, inwardly, as we looked in her direction. Way to kill a moment, kid.

Nathan's hand dropped from my waist and he gave me a small smile. 'Shall we get ready to go? I'd like to drop by the gift shop on the way out if that's okay?'

We stopped at the giftshop on Main Street to pick up a few souvenirs for our loved ones. I started by picking up a cuddly Stitch for Daisy, as I'd promised her I'd get her something. Then I grabbed an Eeyore for Leanne and a Pooh for Adriana, before grabbing a fridge magnet for my parents (they collected them) and some Minnie Mouse ears to send over to Willow. I chose myself a hoodie and then I decided I would get something for Nathan as a 'thank you' gift. I opted for a Mickey Mouse, because Mickey was almost the king of Disney. I paid at the cashier and waited outside for Nathan, uploading the photo of our Disney shoes to Instagram with the caption:

 _Guess where nathanjones and I have been today!_

'Sorry you've had a dull day.' I said to Matt as he passed me the coffee he'd picked up for me.

He shrugged. 'It's been alright. I went on a few rides. Did you have a good day?'

'Yes.' I smiled.

'Good. Is he nearly done in there because our car's outside ready to take us to the hotel.'

We were quiet en route to our hotel. Because of our early flight, we were staying in a hotel next to the airport, so it was about a forty minute drive away. We got there in silence and Matt immediately disappeared off to bed, whilst we found out from reception where our rooms were for the night. Nathan, being the gentleman he was, walked me to my door.

'Thank you again for a magical day.' I said with a shy smile. 'I got you something, but don't look until you're in your room.' I passed him a bag.

'You didn't have to do that, thank you. I got you something to.' In return, he passed me a bag. 'Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning?'

'Sure.' He leaned towards me, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead and then he was gone. I carefully opened the door to my room and slipped inside, closing the door behind me. Daisy was sat up in bed, watching Friends, except they were speaking French. 'Did you have a good day?' I asked her, sitting down on the empty bed.

Her face lit up and she smiled, broadly, at me. 'It was wonderful. We went on a cruise along the Seine and had dinner and we... kissed.'

'Great news!' I grinned, genuinely pleased for her. 'So are you two an item now?'

'I guess?' She said, confused and I laughed. 'How was _your_ day?'

'Amazing, though I'm knackered now.'

'And you and Nate?'

'Just friends.' I said with a smile. 'Oh, I got you something.' I passed her the cuddly Stitch I'd bought her.

'Thank you!' She grinned, looking at the other bags. 'You look like you've bought half of Disneyland.'

'Souvenirs for friends and family.' I replied, packing the bag into my suitcase. 'And then Nathan gave me this.'

'What's inside?' I looked inside at laughed in disbelief, pulling out the cuddly Minnie Mouse toy. 'What's so funny?' She asked, looking puzzled.

I shook my head, a smile on my face. 'Nothing.'

My alarm woke me up at 5.30am and I showered and dressed like a zombie, throwing on my jeans, a tank top and my Disneyland hoodie and Little Mermaid shoes. Daisy and I didn't say anything to each other as we both, still half-asleep, made our way downstairs to meet everyone else. Nathan's team had flown out the day before to get the arena set up, so it was only me, my band, Matt, Nathan and our managers left.

'Right, let's roll.' Nathan's manager said, ushering us out of the door as soon as we'd got our things together.

At the airport, we checked in, went through security and then grabbed some breakfast-to-go, before heading straight for the boarding lounge. I looked at my boarding pass, reading the unfamiliar company in the top right corner, whilst I tucked into my bacon sandwich.

'See you've brought Minnie with you.' Nathan smiled, sitting down beside me, nodding at the Minnie Mouse soft toy, whose head was sticking out of my over-sized handbag.

'And you, Mickey.' I laughed, glancing at Mickey Mouse's head sticking out of his rucsack. 'Great minds think alike, hmm?'

'Absolutely.' He nodded.

'So who are we flying with?' I asked, holding up the ticket.

'I'm afraid I can't tell you that, it will ruin the fun.' He replied with a playful grin. He looked over to where Jake and Daisy were sat, his arm draped comfortably over her shoulder and they were laughing at something. 'Take it their date went well then?'

'It did.' I smiled, looking over at them. They were a cute couple. 'Though she isn't quite sure if they're a couple or not.'

'Oh they definitely are.'

'Right, the plane's ready.' Eric boomed, clapping his hands together. He picked up his luggage and headed towards the member of staff, who checked his passport.

I stood up, throwing my handbag over my shoulder, following Jesse through the gates. He looked a little lost by himself, and he didn't seem to be impressed with the Jake/Daisy situation. I put it down to jealousy that our bandmates were happy and he was not. My passport was quickly checked and then passed back to me as we walked out of the airport doors into the cool morning air. I glanced around at the parked planes, all of which were small and looked like private jets.

'Where's our plane?' I asked Nathan, a confused expression on my face.

'Erm, it's that one.' He pointed at a small, white jet with a few windows, a red tail and red tips on the wings.

My eyes widened. 'You have your own private jet?!'

'Oh no, it's the label's jet, not mine.' He smiled. 'But they hired it out for the tour to make getting around a lot easier.' I was sure, though, that he probably had enough cash to buy his own plane.

'So freakin' cool!' Daisy squealed as we walked on over to it, climbing the stairs to get inside.

Inside, the plane had cream walls and a black patterned carpet, with eight cream leather chairs, grouped into two groups of four, with black fold-out tables in between. We each took a seat and the member of staff quickly checked that we were all strapped in before take-off.

'Welcome aboard.' She said, more to Nathan than to anyone else. Not that I was surprised. Even in jeans and a hoodie, with bed hair, he still looked gorgeous. I shook my head, reminding myself not to think of anything inappropriate. 'We have Wifi on board so feel free to use that when we're cruising. Flight time is two and a half hours so let me know if you need anything at all.'

'Thank you.' Nathan said with a smile.

The take-off was quick and my ears popped, making me wince. When we were finally in the air, I looked out at the land below with a smile. Paris had been wonderful. I just hoped that the rest of the tour would be too.


	18. Milan

Being on a private jet was a cool experience. You didn't have to queue ages for the toilet and you could even have a shower on board if you wanted to. The best part, though, was the luxury leg room. I reclined my seat, kicked off my shoes and stretched out, enjoying the spaciousness of it all. Almost everyone had fallen asleep, so the plane was quiet. Nathan seemed to be listening to something on his iPhone, his fingers drumming in time to the beat on the arm of his reclined chair. My e-mail notification bleeped, telling me that I had a new message.

 _Hi Lucy,_

 _Hope tour is going well! Cameraman has said you've been busy exploring Paris the last few days. Don't suppose you have any videos we can use for your Tour Vlog for the Paris segment? Trying to edit it together now and it would be nice to see a bit of actual Paris!_

 _Darren_

I flicked through the content on my phone, finding first the photos I'd taken from exploring Paris. There were a few videos there, too. The view of the Paris Skyline, panned around, Daisy and I joking around in front of the Eiffel Tower, and then a video of Nathan and I laughing from the top of the Eiffel Tower, when Daisy had pressed the button by mistake. Then there were the Disney videos, where Nathan had filmed Gaston flirting with me and Matt had filmed us walking towards Cinderella's castle and then filmed us on the Indiana Jones ride. I replied to Darren, quickly sending the photos, and then decided I'd upload my Disneyland photos to the 'Hold Back the River Tour' photo album on my Facebook. I chose one photo from yesterday, of Nathan and I laughing in front of Cinderella's castle, and quickly uploaded it to Instagram.

 _Had the most amazing time at #disneylandparis with one of my best friends yesterday. Thanks nathanjones for a super surprise!_

Immediately, the comments rolled in and I closed Instagram without reading them. It was crazy. I remembered the days of only having ten followers, and they were all people I knew. Now people from all over the world were commenting me and leaving me personalised messages, hoping for a response. I put my phone away and, before I knew it, I fell asleep.

We didn't get time to explore Antwerp, which was a shame, as I'd watched the beautiful city from inside the car as we drove to and from our hotel, back and forth to the arena. With its quirky buildings and fairytale castle, I imagined how beautiful it must have looked at Christmas time. But there was no time to explore it as we flew to Amsterdam the following morning.

Amsterdam was just how I imagined it would be with its canals, narrow buildings and a lot of people exploring the city by bicycle. Our hotel was right in the city centre, and it was full of character. What was weird, however, was the fact that you could almost see right into the bathroom because the walls were covered by glass panels. Daisy and I promised that we would give each other our privacy as much as possible, which was also tricky when you were sharing a double bed.

'So what do you say we all go out later?' Jake suggested as we headed back to our hotel for dinner that night before our performance. 'We are in Amsterdam after all.'

'I'm in.' Daisy smiled.

'And me.' Nathan said with a smile. 'We've not celebrated tour yet, might as well make the most of it.' He turned to me. 'What do you think? Are you in?'

'Like Jake said, we are in Amsterdam. Let's just avoid the Red Light Distract, hmm?'

'Spoilsport.' Nathan winked.

The Heineken Music Hall seated 5,000 guests so it was not the biggest venue I'd played it and the thought comforted me. The crowd were as wild and interactive as they had been at the previous two arenas and they left me buzzing with excitement. After my 'I really like you' duet, which was getting a crazy number of hits on Youtube, I headed back to the dressing room to get ready for our night out. I had a quick shower, washing away the sweat from the stagelights, and then I changed into my black strapless peplum playsuit, which made my legs look stupidly long. I ran a brush through my straightened hair and touched up my make-up, getting rid of the smudges. Then I slipped on my leather jacket and black shoe-boots checking my look in the mirror; it was perfect. Moments later, Daisy walked into the room in a tiny, tight white dress with huge black platform shoes. Her hair was curly and her make-up was sexy.

'Wit-woo.' I winked at her and she blushed.

'Do you think Jake will like it?'

'He's not going to be able to keep his hands off of you.' I replied with a smile.

'I love your playsuit.' She complimented. 'Is it new?'

'Yeah, Amanda got it for tour but I thought I might as wear it out tonight as I've not worn it yet.'

'You need some bling, where's that necklace you were wearing onstage earlier?' She rummaged in my bag and pulled out the pearl statement necklace, fastening it around my neck. 'Much better.'

'So where do you think we're going?'

'Not a clue. Nathan's sorted it apparently.' Daisy shrugged. 'I just hope it's somewhere good.'

We headed straight out after the concert, with the car taking us to a huge club called Jimmy Woo. We were, of course, on the guestlist and we walked straight inside, past a few screaming girls who had recognised Nathan. The club had an Asian theme to it with Asian-inspired decor all around. In the main room, there were suede-seated booths and a large dancefloor. Then, tucked in the corner, was a booth roped off, with a large wooden table and red sofas scattered behind. The security guard spotted Nathan and opened the room, smiling in greeting as we walked inside.

'Vip?! Sweet Nate!' The back-up singer, who had been hooking up with Jesse, said, grinning. She sat down beside Jesse, stroking his leg. It was pretty uncomfortable. There were ten of us out in total; my bandmates, Nathan's bandmates and then Nathan and I. Everyone had wanted to experience a bit of Amsterdam nightlife. The two managers and some of the other crew had gone elsewhere, as Jimmy Woo was apparently a very exclusive club. Not that it was hard to get in when you had two Top 10 music artists in your group. Nathan ordered the first round of drinks with our person waitor and then he took a seat beside me.

'I feel like an A-lister.' I laughed, looking at the skimply dressed girls gawping at my good-looking friend.

'You _are_ an a-lister. Everyone wants to be your friend.' He said with a crooked smile. The waitor returned with our drinks, placing them on the table. Nathan passed me a cocktail. 'Here you are.'

'I don't even need to ask what's in it.' I replied with a smile. 'Because you always know which drinks to order for me.'

'It's a gift.' He clinked his glass against mine, drinking his cocktail. 'Mmm this is good.'

'So is this.' I said as the fruity flavours exploded in my mouth. 'Try some.' He passed me his drink and we swapped, taking a sip of each other. 'Mmm you really know where to go for the best cocktails.'

'Tripadvisor is my secret.' He grinned, nudging me with his shoulder. He glanced over at the dancefloor, where two girls were snapping pictures. 'Uh oh, we're about to make the papers again.'

'I'm past the point of caring.' I shrugged. And I was. What did I care when I had stopped thinking about my ex every second of the day and I'd been feeling less and less bothered everytime a new photo came out of him leaving a party or a club completely drunk and with a supermodel. It didn't matter anymore. I was moving on from it and I was actually feeling happy again.

Fifth Harmony's ' _Worth it'_ came blaring through the speakers and Daisy grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet. 'Come on, we have to dance!' She squealed. I shot Nathan an apologetic look as my red-headed friend pulled me onto the dancefloor, twerking and grinding into the music. She was a good dancer, I'd give her that. We danced together, twirling each other around and shaking our hips in time to the music, and then the song was over and I groaned as the intro of ' _Love me harder'_ played.

'I love you and all,' I said to Daisy, 'but I'm not dancing with you to my own song. That's just weird.'

I leaned over the red velvet rope. 'Jake, you're up.' I knew he wouldn't complain. His eyes had been fixated on her whilst we were dancing and I'd noticed Nathan occassionally glancing our way as well. Jake stood up, walking over to Daisy and dancing with her as I sat back down beside Nathan, drinking some more of my drink. 'I'm never going to get used to that.' I told him, shaking my head. A few of Nathan's band members stood up, making their way towards the dancefloor and I shuddered as I caught Jesse and back-up singer girl getting off.

'That's pretty gross.' Nathan commented, downing the rest of his drink. I did the same and he pulled me to my feet. 'Let's leave them to it.'

The DJ changed the song, mixing it into Jason Derulo's _Want to Want Me_ and I started to dance as we reached the dancefloor, moving my hips in time to the music. _'It's too hard to sleep_

 _I got the sheets on the floor_

 _Nothing on me_

 _And I can't take it no more_

 _It's a hundred degrees_

 _I got one foot out the door_

 _Where are my keys?_

 _'Cause I gotta leave, yeah.'_

Nathan surprised me by grabbing my hand, twirling me around. _'In the back of the cab_

 _I tipped the driver ahead of time_

 _Get me there fast_

 _I got your body on my mind_

 _I want it bad_

 _Ooh, just the thought of you gets me so high, so high.'_

He pulled me in, towards him, placing his free hand on my waist and my heart fluttered as my skin burnt at his touch. _'Girl, you're the one I want to want me_

 _And if you want me, girl, you got me.'_

I placed my free hand on my shoulder and sucked in a deep breath as his eyes looked into mine. _'There's nothin' I,no, I wouldn't do, I wouldn't do_

 _Just to get up next to you_

 _Girl, you're the one I want to want me_

 _And if you want me, girl, you got me_

 _There's nothin' I, no, I wouldn't do, I wouldn't do_

 _Just to get up next to you_

 _Just to get up next to you.'_

He spun me around again and I couldn't help wondering where he'd got his dance moves from. _'You open the door_

 _Wearing nothing but a smile, fell to the floor_

 _And you whisper in my ear, "Baby, I'm yours."_

 _Ooh, just the thought of you gets me so high, so high.'_

He pulled me back towards him, closer than we had been before, our chests against each other and I had an overwhelming urge to kiss him but I stopped myself. Did I want to ruin our friendship? Did I want to risk breaking my heart when I was finally starting to feel like myself again? No. _'Girl, you're the one I want to want me_

 _And if you want me, girl, you got me_

 _There's nothin' I,no, I wouldn't do, I wouldn't do_

 _Just to get up next to you.'_

He turned me away from him, so that my back was against his chest, my hips moving in time to the music as he placed his hands on them. I'd missed the warmth. And his touch seemed to send electric shocks through me. That's how we spent the rest of the dance, dancing like that. Then, I turned back to face him, looking into his eyes, one of his hands moving up to caress my cheek. I looked at him, lost in the moment and then Daisy grabbed me from behind, bringing me back to reality.

'Will you go to the bathroom with me?' She asked and I resisted frowning.

'Yes.'

She dragged me off to the ladies toilets and I was surprised we were the only people in there. She disappeared inside the cubicle and I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks were flushed pink and not from heat.

'Can Jake stay in our room tonight?' She was asking from inside the cubicle.

'Are you seriously talking to me whilst you pee?' I asked her, shaking my head (not that she could see).

'It's a serious question.'

'Then where am I meant to sleep? We have a double bed and I don't particularly fancy sharing that with the two of you.'

'You can go and share with Jesse?' She suggested. 'Although I've not seen him in a while. Maybe he's already gone.' The toilet flushed and the cubicle door unlocked, my friend stepping out of it. 'Maybe you can share with Nathan? You guys were getting pretty cosy.'

'Until you interrupted.' I pointed out.

'Sorry.' She slurred and I knew she had definitely had more to drink than me.

'It's okay, I'm kinda glad you did. Are you drunk already?'

'I had whiskey at the concert.' She grinned and I shook my head.

'Pisshead.'

'You love it.' She beamed. 'But please Luce. You'll be the best friend ever.'

The rest of the night sped by but I didn't dance with Nathan again, as he seemed quite happy chatting to his friends and posing for photos with random people. I'd been in my fair share of selfies too by the time we left at around 2am. Our hotel was only around the corner, but Matt still sent a car to pick us up and he ushered our group out of the nightclub. We reached our hotel floor and I shook my head at my making-out bandmates, pressed against my door.

'Ew, gross.' I commented.

'They're cute.' Nathan laughed from behind me and I was surprised he was still there.

'Not when they're doing that.' I frowned. 'Uhm guys, am I allowed to get some sleep tonight?'

'Please can Jake stay in here.' Daisy pleaded, giving her best Puss in Boots impression.

I rolled my eyes. 'Eugh fine. Just let me get my stuff and then I'll go and ask Reception for another room.'

'Don't be ridiculous, you can share my room.' Nathan said and Daisy wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. I wish I'd had something to throw at her.

'No really, it's fine.'

'It's 2am, just share my room without making a fuss.' Nathan nudged me with his elbow and I remembered he was stubborn, possibly more so than me. I wasn't going to win this argument.

I gathered up all of my belongings and my case, following Nathan to his room further up the hallway. Nathan swiped the key card in the door and then held it open for me as I dragged my suitcase and belongings inside. It was only one night. One night wouldn't hurt, would it? His room was the same as mine had been, but there was a wonderful view of the Amsterdam city from the window. I looked out on the canal below, surprised by how many people were still out walking under the streetlights.

'So when I've had five number one singles, two albums and won a few awards, will I get the room with the view when I go on tour?' I asked with a playful smile.

'Absolutely.' He nodded with a grin. 'You can use the bathroom first.' The bathroom with the clear-panelled walls, I reminded myself. He must have known what I was thinking as he added, 'I'll people-watch out of the window whilst you get sorted.'

I changed into my satin pyjama shorts and matching vest top quickly, deciding it was best to keep my underwear on underneath. Then I fixed on my wrist support and took off my make-up, glad he'd seen me with a bare face before. I finished by brushing my teeth and then I crept out of the bathroom. He turned to face me almost immediately, his eyes wandering over my body and then, without saying anything, he slipped into the bathroom. That night, he fell asleep first, his arms wrapped around my waist protectively. It didn't take me long to fall asleep too.

We'd explored Amsterdam the next day, our group hiring bikes and cycling around the city. Then we'd jumped on the jet to Oslo and then Stockholm the day after that. I'd never been to Sweden, and it was another place to check off the list. We kicked off April in Frankfurt and then, the following morning, we headed off to Milan, where we were planning on spending a couple of days as the concert wasn't until April 3rd. When we arrived in Milan at lunchtime on April 2nd, I was surprised that it was 13 degrees, surprisingly warm for that time of year. We checked in at our hotel and after getting changed, I headed out for lunch with Nathan and my bandmates. We all spent the afternoon exploring Milan and its incredible architecture. Then I headed for my four o'clock appointment at Luisa , an Italian designer boutique, with Eric.

'It's a pleasure to meet you!' The girl said as she greeted us. She turned the sign on the door to 'closed' as we stepped inside. 'I have some wonderful pieces picked out for you.' Luisa was an upcoming Italian designer and she had chosen some pieces from her Spring/Summer collection for me, which was pretty cool. Eric, of course, had tagged along to make sure that whatever I ended up choosing matched the 'image' he claimed to have created.

'You look like you're wearing a dead animal.' My manager tutted as I stepped out in a navy one-shoulder dresss with a feathered skirt. I looked at the sales assistant, apologetically. Yes, it was awful but he could have found a more polite way of saying so. Many of the other dresses were 'too shiny' or 'too long' or 'unflattering' and I felt bad for the lady who had chosen these for me. I tried on a white dress with floral pattern; it was tight and had a plunging neckline. Of course, Eric liked that and said we would take it. Then there was a short pencil skirt in the same print, which he added to the tab.

I looked at the final dress hung up in the dressing room. It was gorgeous. It was a red skater dress with a sweetheart neckline and thin cross-over-back straps. I slipped it on and looked in the mirror. It was gorgeous. Girly and sexy at the same time. I opened the curtain and gave a twirl, feeling like a princess.

'That's perfect!' The sales assistant clapped her hands together. 'I'm going to call it the May dress!'

'It's lovely.' I smiled. I looked at Eric and he nodded, making me squeal. Now I just needed somewhere to wear it.

When I got back to my hotel room, there was a note from Daisy.

 _Gone out for dinner with Jake. See you later xx_

I sighed. Dinner for one then? There was a knock at the door and I carefully laid down my dressbags of new clothes before opening it.

'Hey.' Nathan said, giving me the cute smile that was starting to turn me into one of the fangirls.

'Hey.' I replied, trying to sound casual.

'No Daisy?' He glanced at my empty hotel room.

'She abandonned me for dinner with Jake.'

'Good.' He grinned.

'Good?' I raised an eyebrow.

'Yep. It means you can't turn down my dinner request. I'll be back in thirty.'

Nathan walked down the corridor to his room and I refused to stop the smile playing on my lips. I closed the door and looked at my dressbag on the bed, thoughtfully. I already knew what I was wearing. I left my hair in my natural curls, applied my usual eye make-up and checked my outfit in the mirror. My dress was gorgeous and looked great with a pair of Jimmy Choos. I slipped on my leather jacket, which added some edge to my look, and then I fastened a vintage necklace around my neck, one which had once belonged to my nan. The knock on my door came right on time and I grabbed my bag, before answering it.

Nathan looked cute as always, even more so in his jeans with a white shirt, tie and a jacket. He looked at me, his eyes sparkling in the hallway light. 'You look beautiful.' He whispered, his voice sounding nervous.

'You look very handsome.' I replied, biting my lip nervously. He smiled as I walked past him, closing the door behind me.

Nathan took me to a jazz club, which surprised me. I had no idea he liked jazz. We had dinner and I relaxed a little as I drank a glass of wine. The jazz club was half-restaurant, half-bar, with a large dancefloor area at the front. The jazz band played instrumental music whilst we finished our dinner and spoke about our plans for Easter.

'I'm going to go and see my family over in Michigan.' I said in response to his question.

'I've never been. Is it nice?' He asked, curiously.

'It depends on the part. Detroit's okay, but where my family live is a lot nicer. There's lakes and woodland to explore. Its lovely and peaceful.'

'Sounds it' He smiled, genuinely.

'So what are your plans?'

'Roast dinner with my parents, sister, brother, brother's wife and my nieces.' He replied. He finished the last of his glass of wine. 'We do it every year. There's even an Easter Egg hunt.'

'Sounds lovely.' I said, returning the smile. The song changed and a man walked onto the stage, adding lyrics to the music. A few couples moved to the dancefloor and Nathan turned his head to see what I was looking at.

'Would you like to dance?' He asked, flashing me his signature smile once again.

'Maybe when my food has gone down.'

I didn't have a choice in the matter half an hour later. Nathan had paid the bill, despite my refusals, and he pulled me onto the dancefloor. With a glance, I realised we were the youngest people there. The song ended and everyone politely applauded the band as the next song started up. Nathan took my left hand in his, placing his other hand on my waist. I placed my right hand gently on his shoulder and he smiled as we started to move to the song.

 _'Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away_

 _If you could use some exotic booze_

 _There's a bar in far Bombay_

 _Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away.'_

After a few more upbeat songs, with Nathan twirling me around, the pace slowed down and I recognised the Michael Buble introduction.

 _'Close your eyes_

 _Let me tell you all the reasons why_

 _Think you're one of a kind._

 _Here's to you_

 _The one that always pulls us through_

 _Always do what you gotta do_

 _You're one of a kind_

 _Thank God you're mine.'_

Nathan's face softened as he pulled me closer, so our chests were against each other as we gently swayed in time to the music.

 _'You're an angel dressed in armor_

 _You're the fair in every fight_

 _You're my life and my safe harbor_

 _Where the sun sets every night_

 _And if my love is blind_

 _I don't want to see the light.'_

I looked up at him to see his eyes were on mine, as if he was trying to read my expression.

 _'It's your beauty that betrays you_

 _Your smile gives you away._

 _Cause you're made of strength and mercy_

 _And my soul is yours to save_

 _I know this much is true_

 _When my world was dark and blue_

 _I know the only one who rescued me was you.'_

He gave me a small smile and surprised me as he started to sing along to the chorus,

 _'Close your eyes_

 _Let me tell you all the reasons why_

 _You're never gonna to have to cry_

 _Because you're one of a kind_

 _Yeah, here's to you_

 _The one that always pulls us through_

 _You always do what you gotta do baby_

 _Because you're one of a kind.'_

He led us around the floor, spinning me outwards and the gently back towards him again.

 _'When your love pours down on me_

 _I know I'm finally free_

 _So I tell you gratefully_

 _Every single beat in my heart is yours to keep.'_

His hands caressed my waist, his breath on my neck, and then he was turning me back towards him and I was desperate to close the gap between our lips, although the thought did scare me. Instead, he started to move me in time to the music again, leaving me longing for more. _'So close your eyes_

 _Let me tell you all the reasons why babe_

 _You're never going to have to cry baby_

 _Because you're one of a kind_

 _Yeah, here's to you_

 _You're the one that always pulls us through_

 _You always do what you got to do babe_

 _'Cause you're one of a kind.'_

He sang softly in my ear, sending goosebumps all over my body. _'You're the reason why I'm breathing._

 _With a little look my way_

 _You're the reason that I'm feeling_

 _It's finally safe to stay'_

I looked into Nathan's eyes and in that moment I knew I was over Ed. But did I want another relationship that would only lead to hurt?

'Shall we go?' Nathan whispered, breaking my thoughts as the band started to play a song I didn't recognise. I nodded and he reached for my jacket, carefully helping me into it like a true gentleman. He slipped into his own jacket and took my hand, leading me out into the cool Milan air. We cut back through the city by foot and I admired the beauty of the city even at night. We reached Milan Duomo and I paused, looking up at the jagged architecture of the cathedral, which was lit up.

'Our world has so many magical cities.' I whispered as I snapped a photo of my phone. Nathan didn't say anything. I glanced over at him, turning to face him, and I realised he was looking at me. I blushed, looking downwards, and then his hand gently caressed my cheek as he moved closer to me.

He closed the gap between our faces, his lips brushing against mine in a kiss that gave me butterflies. He pulled back, resting his forehead against mine. 'I've been wanting to do that for a long time.' He whispered, his eyes looking deep into mine.

'Why didn't you?' I whispered back, resisting the urge to kiss him again.

'I wanted to give your heart a break.' He replied and I knew what he meant; time to get over Ed.

My lips turned upwards into a smile and I closed the gap between us again, kissing Nathan Jones in the Milan moonlight.

We were greeted by paparazzi when we got back to our hotel and Nathan squeezed my hand, reassuringly, as we walked right through them into reception, completely ignoring them. He kissed me goodnight at my door and I leaned against the door with a content sigh after I closed it. Daisy glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow. 'You're flushed.'

'I'm not.' I lied, shrugging off my jacket and kicking off my shoes.

'Mmmhmm.' She said, sounding unconvinced. 'Nice dress. I bet Nathan liked it.' My cheeks turned redder and her jaw dropped. 'You guys went on a date, didn't you?'

'No.' I squeaked, realising I was a bad liar.

'Spill.' She crossed her legs and patted the double bed beside her. 'And before you try and get out of it, you did this to me in Paris, remember?'

I sighed, sitting down on the bed beside her, throwing a blanket over my bare legs.'We went to a jazz club.'

'Details.'

'I had seafood pasta?'

'Not the dull details.' She tutted. 'I'm guessing there was dancing.'

I nodded. 'There was.'

'And he's a good dancer.'

'He is.' I smiled at the memory of his hands on my waist as he sang to me. 'He was singing to me as we danced.'

Her eyes lit up. 'I knew you guys were more than friends! You're just too cute together! Did you kiss?' I blushed again and she grinned. 'Details!'

After Daisy had heard all of the details and was satisfied, I changed into my pyjamas and fell asleep straight away, a smile on my face. Social media the next day were showing the pictures of Nathan and I hand-in-hand, arriving at the hotel and I smiled. They would have been far more exciting if they had seen what had happened ten minutes previously. Now those would have been some photos worth seeing. After breakfast, we all headed to the venue, Eric wanting us to get in as much practice as possible before the show. I sat myself in my dressing room, waiting to be called, singing my new song, the one I had finished writing when I was in Paris. Daisy played it on guitar for me as I sang, a smile on my face.

 _'I can't sleep tonight_

 _Wide awake and so confused_

 _Everything's in line_

 _But I am bruised_

 _I need a voice to echo_

 _I need a light to take me home_

 _I kinda need a hero_

 _Is it you?_

 _I never see the forest for the trees_

 _I could really use your melody_

 _Baby I'm a little blind_

 _I think it's time for you to find me_

 _Can you be my nightingale?_

 _Sing to me_

 _I know you're there_

 _You could be my sanity_

 _But bring me peace_

 _Sing me to sleep_

 _Say you'll be my nightingale.'_

'New song?' Eric interrupted, walking into the dressing room without a knock. Daisy stopped strumming and looked at him in surprise.

'Yeah.' I shrugged, grabbing my bottle of water.

'It's good. Why haven't you been performing it?'

'I've only just finished it really.' I replied, honestly. I'd written it about Nathan, hence the singing to sleep. He always managed to get me to sleep relaxed and calm, without a single nightmare.

'Well you're singing it tonight. We'll scrap _Believe in Me._ I like this one better.'

'I've not sang it with the band yet.' I said, nervously.

Eric turned to Daisy. 'Do you know it?' She hesitated and then nodded. 'Acoustic number it is. Soundcheck in five.'

The new song went down well that night and I'd shaken things up by starting with _Skyscraper_ and ending with _Heart Attack._ Eric gave me a nod of approval and I disappeared off to the dressing room, changing out of my dog-tooth skirt and black crop top and throwing on my white lace crop top and baby pink skater skirt for the ' _I really like you_.' cover. I slipped on my Jimmy Choos and my phone buzzed; an email.

 _Cuz,_

 _Missing you like crazy. Please tell me you've booked your flights for Easter? Your 'rents and I can't wait to see you. And what on earth is going on with Nathan Jones? You guys are all over the internet looking cute together. Is something going on? Please spill._

 _Love you and good luck tonight- Milan right?_

 _Wills xxx_

I shook my head and smiled. My cousin never had been one for subtlety.

 _Missing you too. Yes all booked so will send you the dets and you can pick me up from the airport. Milan is great! As for Nathan and I... well I'm not sure what to call us but he took me out last night dancing and then we may have kissed... may being we did. Not seen him today though so not sure if it was the wine and the magical atmosphere?_

 _Will keep you updated,_

 _Lu xxx_

I logged into Facebook, quickly checking my newsfeed and I smiled at a new event.

 _Daisy Harman is in a relationship with Jake Watts._

About time too, I thought to myself, the smile twitching on my lips. I scrolled down, pausing in surprise when I saw that Nathan had updated his Profile Picture to the one of us in front of the Eiffel Tower, where we was spinning me in our dance routine.

'Five minutes, Lucy.' The stage manager said, interrupting my nosing.

'Okay, I'll be right out.' I tucked my phone into my bag and headed back to the wings.

There was something different about our duet that night. I wasn't sure if it was because we'd kissed, but we were more relaxed and more touchy-feely in our performance, singing the words as if they had meaning. They did. The crowd applauded as he kissed my cheek, as normal, except this time he whispered, for just us to know, 'You look beautiful.'


	19. Madrid

The private jet took us to Madrid the following morning and I longed to curl up to Nathan, like Jake and Daisy were. Now they were out in the open, they weren't hiding their feelings. And they looked adorable together. Nathan and I hadn't spoken properly to each other since the night of our date, let alone kissed. We'd spoken only in group situations and I longed to be alone with him again so that I could kiss him. I found myself glancing at his lips when he spoke and then I had to look away before I jumped on him.

An hour into our flight and everyone was asleep around us, exhausted from the night before; we'd all ended up in some bar in Milan, toasting to the success of the tour. I slipped off my shoes and pulled my hair into a loose bun, looking out at the land we were flying over, watching it appear and then disappear behind the clouds. A hand tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and I jumped, relaxing when I saw it was Nathan. I scooted over on the loveseat-sized sofa I was sat on, making room for him, and he sat down beside me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me so that I was leaning back against his chest. I sighed, feeling relaxed, and he kissed my forehead.

'I wanted to do this all day yesterday.' He whispered, sending goosebumps across my body. 'Shame we were both so busy, huh? Nice new song by the way.'

I blushed, hoping he didn't realise it was about him. 'Thanks.' I turned to face him.

'Do you know what else I wanted to do yesterday?'

'What?'

He caressed my cheek, pulling me in for a gentle kiss. He smiled as he rested his forehead against mine. 'That.'

My mouth turned upwards into a small smile. 'I wanted to as well.'

'I nearly kissed you in front of all of those people after our performance.' He smiled, rubbing my cheek gently with his thumb. I closed the gap between our mouths again, craving another kiss. His lips moved gently over mine, leaving mine tingling like they had been electrocuted.

'Well that's new.' Derek's (Nathan's manager) voice interrupted us and I blushed as we both turned to look at our managers, who were sat there, looking at us, curiously. I bit my lip, nervously, as we sat like two school kids who had been caught behind the bike sheds.

'When did this happen?' Eric asked.

'Milan.' Derek replied, looking at Nathan. 'Am I right?'

Nathan nodded, squeezing my hand. 'Yes, Milan.'

'Well that's sure to add to the publicity.' Eric commented, still looking surprised.

Derek turned to face my manager. 'It's early days. Let's just let them enjoy it.'

'But the fans are already hashtagging Lathan!'

'So let them tag it.' Derek said, sounding irritated with my manager. He turned back to face us. 'You kids go public whenever you're ready, okay?'

I nodded, mutely, and Nathan smiled beside me, kissing my forehead. 'Thanks, Derek, you're the best.'

'Yes I am.'

We checked into our hotel straight after arriving in Madrid that afternoon and I wasn't surprised when Derek handed Nathan and I a key to the same room.

'This is the key to the suite on the top floor.' He explained. 'Now it's two bedrooms and it's the best room in the hotel and it's right next to the spa. We're here four days so might as well be comfortable.'

'Spa?!' I said, my eyes wide. Now I was glad that Amanda had made me pack a bikini.

'Of course, we're not all stingy.' He said, looking over at Eric, who was flirting with the receptionist. I smiled. Derek was cool. I liked him.

Our room was on the top floor, so we used the elevator to get there, and then we dragged our suitcases along, whilst I carried my recently dry-cleaned clothes in dress bags over my shoulder. We reached Suite 304 and Nathan opened the door, standing aside to let me pass. We found ourselves in a living room area with cream carpets and a velour grey loveseat and glass coffee table facing a flat-screen television. Nathan placed his guitar in the corner of the room and opened a sliding door, revealing one of the bedrooms. He walked to the sliding door next to it, revealing a modern-looking bathroom with a bath. Then, opposite, was another set of sliding doors next to the fully-stocked mini-fridge; the second bedroom. I walked over to the window, looking out over Madrid, where, unfortunately, it was raining. The view was still beautiful.

Nathan's arms snaked around my waist and he kissed the tattoo on my shoulder. 'Not the best weather, huh?'

'Sadly not.' I replied in a whisper as rain droplets fell down the window.

'It's supposed to clear up later this afternoon.' He said as I turned to face him.

'I guess I'm just going to have to kill some time in the spa.' I sighed, giving Nathan a flirtacious look. 'Now where did I put my bikini?'

I changed into my new black Victoria's secret bikini, which had a white bow at the front and white ties at each side of the brief. I'd chosen it because it had made my cleavage look better and it almost gave me an hourglass figure. I grabbed my black t-shirt dress, throwing it over the top of my outfit, picked up a white fluffy towel and slipped my feet into the slippers the hotel had provided.

Nathan was stood by the door, holding a towel, when I emerged from the bedroom and he gave me a flirtacious smile. 'Are we going, princess?'

The pool in the spa was completely empty and I assumed it was because people were out sight-seeing. Not that I minded. It meant we had the room and the jacuzzis to ourselves. Nathan stripped off his t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, so he was just stood in his black swimming trunks. I swallowed, looking at his muscular chest and arms, and the star tattoo I'd seen once before. I slipped off the slippers on my feet and stood there, nervously. I'd always been nervous about my body, mainly because of the scar on my lower right abdomen, from when my appendix had been removed aged ten.

I bit my lip, nervously as Nathan slipped into the water, swimming across the pool. He stood up in the water. 'Are you coming in?'

I took a deep breath as I pulled the dress off, over my head, hanging it over the back of a chair. I wrapped my arms around myself, self-consciously, as I spotted Nathan looking at me, and then I slipped into the pool. The water was cool, so I swam over to him in an attempt to warm up. He pulled me towards him, pressing my almost-naked body against him and running a hand through my wet hair.

He smiled at me and my heart fluttered. 'You're so beautiful.'

I blushed and bit my lip, looking down. 'No I'm not.'

He slipped a finger under my chin, making me look at him. 'Yes you are, my beautiful princess.' Before I could argue, he pressed his lips against mine and we kissed in the swimming pool like we were in a Nicholas Sparks movie.

Nathan took me out for dinner that night. It wasn't anywhere fancy, in fact is was very relaxed. Either way, it was perfect, and I went to sleep with a smile on my face. The next day, the rain had stopped but we had a long day of rehearsals ahead of us. We got to the venue after lunch and I was surprised, as we drove past in a blacked out car, to see a group of about ten fans sat outside, already ready for the concert.

'How long do you think they've been there?' I asked Nathan, surprised.

'No idea, but they must be hungry. Fancy a pitstop?' He smiled.

We dropped into a local bakery, buying enough sandwiches and cakes for the group of female fans and some coffee to go with it. Then we took the goodies to the girls sat outside. Their eyes widened as we called out of the arena with some staff, arms laden with goodies.

'You girls must be hungry.' Nathan said with his signature smile, making the girls grin back like love-sick fools. It occurred to me that my facial expression was probably the same.

'You're Nathan Jones!' One of the girls said, in a surprisingly English accent.

'And you're Lucy May!' One of the other girls said, her accent Spanish.

'Yes we are.' Nathan smiled. 'How long have you girls been out here?'

'Since seven.' One of them replied, covering her mouth as she yawned. 'We wanted to get a good spot in the standing zone.'

They'd been there for six hours? They must have been exhausted. It was lucky it was a warm day. 'Well you'll definitely get a good spot.' I smiled at them. 'And here's come food and drink to keep you going too.'

They looked in awe at the sandwiches and drinks the venue's staff were handing out for them.

'You guys are so nice!' The English girl said. 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.' Nathan smiled.

'Can we please get some pictures with you both?'

'Of course.'

Fifteen minutes later and it was time for us to leave the fans. They were all very nice and surprisingly calm, which was good. I'd seen video clips where artists had met fans and they'd just cried hysterically at them. We turned to leave, when one of them called out,

'Are you guys dating?'

We turned back to face them and I knew I was struggling not to blush. Nathan smiled at me, slyly. 'Can you girls keep a secret?'

'Yes!' They all chorused, nodding.

'We are.' He smiled and they all squealed in response.

'You're such a cute couple!' One of them gushed.

'Lathan all the way!' Another one said.

Nathan and I looked at each other and laughed. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and we walked into the venue together, away from the excited fans. That night, our duet was the best it had been yet and I noticed the girls from outside smiling excitedly as we sang to each other, our secret being shared amongst just a few of us. After I finished the duet, I headed off to the dressing room, surprised to have a text from Taylor.

 _I'm in Madrid with Adam tonight as he's playing a show! Totally forgot you were playing or would have come to see you. Come to the afterparty and bring your crew! T xx_

 _We'll be there. What are the dets?xx_

 _The roof from 11pm. See you there! xx_

I walked down the corridor, purposefully, knocking on the guy's dressing room. Daisy's voice called out 'come in', so I slipped inside. She was sat on Jake's lap, looking loved up. Jesse was awol, which was no surprise. 'Fancy going out tonight? Taylor's in town and we've been invited to Calvin Harris' after party!'

'Like we're going to turn that down!' Jake grinned. 'His music is sweet.'

'Is there a dresscode?' Daisy asked, signalling to her black skater dress and red heels.

'I sure hope not. I am going to go and top up my curls though if you want to come with?'

'Sure.'

We headed back to the girl's dressing room, topping up our make-up. I looked at the little white skater dress I was wearing, which had a bow on the cross-over straps at the back. 'Does this look okay?'

'Of course. It's adorable.' She smiled. 'But sexy at the same time. If that's the look you're going for?'

'I don't know what look I'm going for.' I laughed, slipping on my coral blazer with it. The coral matched the comfy coral wedges I had on my feet. I ran my hands through my hair. 'I want to do something different with this.'

'May I?' My friend asked, appearing behind me. She pinned back my hair into a half updo, with loose strands framing my face. 'What do you think?'

I looked at my reflection and smiled. 'I like it. Thank you.'

The show finished twenty minutes later and I was waiting in the wings for Nathan. He walked off the stage, all sweaty, planting a gentle kiss on my lips. 'Hey.'

'Hey.' I smiled.

'You've done your hair differently.' He commented. 'I like it.' He kissed my forehead. 'Are we going somewhere?'

'Yes,' I replied, 'Calvin Harris' afterparty.'

Nathan had a quick shower at the venue, before changing into a clean outfit; a fresh pair of black skinny jeans and a denim shirt with rolled-up sleeves. He knocked on my dressing room door when he was ready and then Nathan, Daisy, Jake and I headed off to _The Roof. The Roof_ was, of course, a rooftop bar. We reached the top after getting past the 'private functions' security guard and I looked around in awe at the incredible view over the city of Madrid. Black tables and chairs were spread out across the open terrace and there were a few black sofa booths spread about, in amongst the heaters which were blaring out heat. The rooftop glowed different shades of pinks and purples and music filled the air and guests moved around, mingling. A few said hello to Nathan or I as we made our way through the crowd, hand-in-hand, as Daisy and Jake headed off to the bar.

'Lu!' Taylor squealed, hurrying over and embracing me in a big hug. She looked down at my hand, realising it was in Nathan's, and her eyebrows shot up. 'So the rumours are true!' She turned to face Nathan and smiled, pulling him into a hug as I let go of his hand. 'Nice to see you again. So when did this happen?'

I blushed and Nathan glanced over at me, a smile on his face. 'Call it Magical Milan.' He said with a laugh, squeezing my waist.

'I'm so happy for you.' Taylor said with a smile which meant she really meant it. 'You really deserve to be happy.'

'I do.' I said, smiling back at her.

'Adam, get over here, you'll never believe this!' Taylor called her boyfriend over as she straightened up her red skater dress.

Adam walked over to us. 'Hey guys, how are you?'

'Good thanks.' We both chorused.

'They're totally dating. I told you so.' Taylor told her boyfriend as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

'I'll get us a drink.' Nathan said to me. He kissed my cheek and disappeared off, Adam following him to the bar.

'You have to tell me all of the details.' Taylor said, her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes looked behind me and they widened.

'What is it?' I turned my head and saw what had caught her attention; Ed had walked onto the rooftop with a supermodel I recognised as one of the Victoria's Secret angels. I shuddered, suddenly wishing I hadn't handed my jacket over in the cloakroom on the way in.

'I have no idea what he's doing here.' Taylor said to me with a frown. 'I didn't invite him, that's for sure. I didn't even know he was in Madrid. It must have been Adam. I'm so sorry, Lu.'

'It's fine.' I shrugged. 'I'm over it. I'm with Nathan now and he makes me happy.' I smiled over at my boyfriend, if he was that yet, who was chatting to Adam at the bar.

Taylor squeezed my arm. 'I'm glad you're happy and in a better place. Nate's a nice guy. Adam's known him for years. He won't mess you about, it's not in his nature. His mum brought him up to be a gentleman.'

'You got that right.' I replied.

Taylor looked over my shoulder. 'Hi Ed.' She said, her voice lacking enthusiasm.

'Hi Taylor.' He replied, casually, as his supermodel walked off to the bar. 'Hi Lucy.' He said, turning to me, his eyes softening when they looked at me.

'Hi.' I responded, my voice staying surprisingly even. In fact I felt pretty strong, which surprised me. I really was over him.

'I didn't realise you were in Madrid at the moment.' Ed said to me.

'Yeah, I had a show tonight.' I said with a small smile.

'Oh yes, you're touring with Nathan Jones, right?'

I nodded. 'Yep, though tour's nearly over which is a shame because I'm having a great time.'

'Cool.' He said, casually. 'So Jake and Daisy are together, huh?' He looked over at my bandmates, who were dancing together by the DJ booth.

'It's been a few months.' I replied. 'A lot has changed.'

'Eddie, I got you a drink.' The supermodel said, returning from the bar and passing Ed a cocktail. I raised my eyebrow; 'Eddie' had never been a cocktail guy.

Nathan and Adam returned, Nathan planting a kiss on my cheek as he passed me my drink. He looked up at Ed in surprise. 'Hey Ed, what brings you to Madrid?' He asked, smoothly.

'Came to see my mate Adam play.' He nodded at Adam, who was stood looking awkward next to his girlfriend.

'Nice.' Nathan nodded. _Are you okay, princess?_ My eyes widened at Nathan's voice in my head. I looked at him in surprise. How was that possible? I already had a soulfinder. _Wait did you just hear me?_

 _Yes,_ I replied, unsure of what else to say. Nathan smiled at me, his eyes twinkling and he kissed my forehead.

Ed walked the exchange and tensed up. 'Well I'll catch you later.' He disappeared off with his supermodel.

'Sheesh that was awkward.' Taylor sighed. She turned to her boyfriend. 'You didn't tell me he was at your concert.'

'I didn't think he was going to come _here._ ' Adam replied. Someone called him from the other side of the terrace. 'It's time for my set. Are you coming gorgeous?'

Taylor smiled at both of us. 'See you in a bit.' And then they were gone.

'So you're my soulfinder.' Nathan said, giving me a lopsided smile. He bent down and kissed me softly on the lips, not caring who saw, whilst my head tried to work out how it was even possible to have two soulfinders.

I stayed up late that night, on the internet, trying to find out what the hell was going on. I wrapped my baggy grey cardigan around myself as I sat on top of my duvet covers, on my laptop.

 _A soulfinder is a Savant who has a Savant partner for life and are commited to each other. To be a soulfinder, a male and female savants have to be conceived at the same time (not the same time they were born). Soulfinders have half of the power while the other have the half._

I frowned. Website after website was absolutely useless. Then I clicked on a forum question.

 _Help!_

 _I've met two guys I can talk to telepathically and they both give me different abilities, making me stronger. Does this mean I have two soulfinders? Is this even possible?_

 _\- From a confused savant_

I hadn't noticed any new abilities, but I definitely could talk to two guys using telepathy. I scrolled down the page, reading the answer.

 _It is a very rare occurance, extremely rare, but yes, it is possible. It has only been noted down in books as occuring five times over the last three hundred years and all of the savants who have found this have been women. Some decided to stay in relationships with both soulfinders, but I suggest you make a choice. It is possible to break the bond but this could be harmful for the recepients. Good luck!_

I bit my lip. It was a rare occurance, but it was possible. My sliding door opened and I glanced up in surprise at Nathan, stood in his boxers. 'You're still up?' He sounded surprised. 'It's 4am.'

I shut down my laptop and placed it on my bedside table. 'I couldn't sleep.' I replied, honestly.

He climbed onto the bed beside me, kissing my lips softly. 'Lie down.' He whispered. I pulled off my jumper and climbed into the covers, lying down beside him.

'Are you going to sing me to sleep?' I teased, curling up to him.

He cocked his head to the side with curiosity. 'Like a nightingale?' I blushed and looked down, but he caught my chin with one of his fingers. 'Is that song about me, princess?'

'Maybe.'

His lips turned upwards into a smile and he pressed them against mine, sending electric shocks through my body. He pulled away, kissing my forehead and whispering, 'good night.'

The next two days were spent exploring the city, from the Royal Palace to the musems. The weather was kind to us, giving us lots of sunshine and we hung out with Jake, Daisy, Jesse and the back-up singer, taking goofy (and some cute) photos at all the sights. Then it was time to head home. We flew back in Business Class of British Airways, and I sighed as the English landscape appeared below us. I'd had a wonderful time. Of course, paparazzi met us at the airport and snapped photos of us as we walked to the blacked-out window cars. The driver took my dress bags from the boutiques I'd visited whilst I was away and placed them on top of the suitcases in the boot as we climbed into the car and, before I knew it, I was back at my flat in London. Alone.

I woke up early the next morning and I took my cup of tea out onto my roof terrace, looking out at the blue skies over London, a blanket wrapped around myself to keep me warm. Leanne and Adriana were travelling up to see me and they'd be at the flat in just a few hours. The thought brought a smile to my face. I sighed, wishing my parents and Willow were around to watch my performance that night, but I knew that in three days time I'd be flying over to see them and that made me happy. My washing machine stopped and I emptied it out, hanging my clothes on the makeshift washing line I'd put up on the terrace, before loading it with the next clothes I'd taken on tour with me. Then, I put on the music channel and unpacked the rest of my case, filling the washing basket and hanging up the unworn items and placing my shoes on the shoe rack. I hung my dress bags into my large wardrobe, pausing to look at myself in the mirror. Tour had done me some good. My skin had a slight glow from the sunshine, bringing out a few of the freckles on my face, and I looked _happy_. I pulled the Minnie Mouse out of my suitcase, placing her carefully on the fresh blue polka dot duvet cover. My buzzer sounded just as I pulled on my off-the-shoulder jumper.

'Hello?'

'We're here superstar!' Leanne and Adriana sang into the reciever.

'Come on up!' I said, excitedly. It had been too long since I'd seen both of them. They were upstairs in a matter of minutes, taking over my apartment with their overnight bags. I made us each a cup of tea and we sat down on the sofa as I showed them the pictures from Tour, talking them through each one.

'I have to say, Nathan is a lot cuter than Ed.' Adriana commented, giving an approving smile. 'In fact, you two look very well suited and those muscles.'

I blushed. 'Thanks, I guess?'

My text tone sounded and I grabbed my phone as my friends continued to flick through my Disneyland photos.

 _Good morning princess! Hope you slept well last night! Can't wait to see you later. N xxx_

I smiled, sending him a quick reply and I looked up to see my friends were watching me. 'What?'

'I know we said it before, but be careful.' Leanne told me, her face etched with worry. 'I'm sure he's lovely and I know he's cute but don't let him screw you about like Ed did. I still want to cut his balls off, by the way.'

I raised an eyebrow at her. 'We're not even official yet.'

My friends joined me at soundcheck later, cheering on and dancing throughout my performance and it took everything I had to stop me from laughing at the moves they were bustin' out. When I finished, I jumped off the stage. Jake and Jesse headed to grab some food, leaving Daisy with us girls.

'You'd better not have hots for this boyfriend too.' I warned Leanne, watching her reaction carefully as Nathan walked out onto the stage. Daisy giggled from beside her and Adriana mockingly cheered like a Fan girl. I shook my head at them. 'Why do I bring you girls to these things? Honestly.'

Nathan laughed, crouching down on the stage to talk to us. 'Ladies, I don't believe we've met.'

'Nate, this is Adriana and Leanne. For some reason they're my best friends. Ad, Lea, this is Nate.' I rolled my eyes at them as they shook my boyfriend's hand.

'How do you put up with Miss sarcastic?' Leanne asked Nathan. 'Now you've gone Facebook official you're stuffed.'

He shot me a lopsided grin. 'I don't think I've met Miss sarcastic yet.'

'Oh you will.' I replied, with a playful laugh.

'Nate! Let's run from the top!' Derek called out from his seat. Nathan stood up and made his way to the mic stand, hooking his guitar over his muscular body. And we spent the whole of his soundcheck dancing.

'Lucy!' Amanda said, hurrying into my dressing room and pulling me into a hug that evening. She saw the rest of my girl friends and hugged them too. 'So how was Europe?!'

'Great!' I grinned.

'I see you've blagged yourself the hottie. Nice work.' She commented with a smile.

'I did.' I nodded. 'How was Barbados? Your tan is fabulous.'

'It was incredible, but enough about me. We've got to get you ready to end this tour in style. I've saved the best outfits for you.' She grinned, pinning up my curls.

She wasn't kidding. Half an hour before showtime, I stood in my dressing room with a half updo, my hair tumbling down past my breasts. The dress was black and strapless, a tight-fitting bustier lace and sequinned top with black mesh and lace showing off my midriff and then a beautiful, short, black tulle skirt. I wore black wedges with my outfit and dangly silver earrings.

'You look gorgeous!' Leanne cooed as Adriana gave me a thumbs up.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and smiled, deciding to quote Gavin and Stacey, 'I feels it.'

Adriana laughed and Leanne rolled her eyes. Daisy walked out of the ensuite bathroom in her outfit for the night; a black mini bodycon dress. She pushed her curls out of her face. 'Do I look okay?' She asked, nervously.

We all wolf-whistled in response. 'You look great!' I told her with a smile.

'Thanks for doing my hair and make-up, Amanda.' She said, smiling at my stylist.

'You're welcome. Got to go out with a bang, right?'

Her words hung in my mind and then suddenly I had an idea. I text Taylor too, knowing she was coming to watch the show. We were going to go out with a bang. Most definitely.

 _Shake if Off_ was the cover we'd been singing all tour, but we'd decided as a band to sing _22_ by Taylor instead. I clapped my hands in time to the opening lyrics as I sang them into the microphone.

 _'It feels like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters_

 _And make fun of our exes, uh uh, uh uh._

 _It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight_

 _To fall in love with strangers, uh uh, uh uh.'_

I picked up the microphone and walked over to Daisy, leaning against her as she played the guitar.

 _'Yeah,_

 _We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time_

 _It's miserable and magical._

 _Oh, yeah_

 _Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines_

 _It's time_

 _Uh oh!'_

Jesse's drumsticks hit the drums loudly and on came Amanda, Leanne and Adriana in their posh frocks for the after party.

 _'I don't know about you_

 _But I'm feeling 22_

 _Everything will be alright_

 _If you keep me next to you.'_

I walked over to them whilst singing, singing and dancing with them.

 _'You don't know about me_

 _But I'll bet you want to_

 _Everything will be alright_

 _If we just keep dancing like we're_

 _22, ooh-ooh_

 _22, ooh-ooh.'_

Taylor walked onstage, winking at me as she sang.

 _'It seems like one of those nights,_

 _This place is too crowded._

 _Too many cool kids, uh uh, uh uh.'_

I grinned. 'Who's Taylor Swift anyway? Ew.'

Taylor reached my group of friends, singing in the middle of us, stood next to me.

 _'It seems like one of those nights,_

 _We ditch the whole scene and end up dreaming_

 _Instead of sleeping.'_

I took over as Taylor strutted over to Jake, shaking her head in time to the base. _'Yeah,_

 _We're happy, free, confused, and lonely in the best way_

 _It's miserable and magical._

 _Oh, yeah_

 _Tonight's the night when we forget about the heartbreaks_

 _It's time_

 _Oh oh!'_

Taylor and the band joined in and we all sang together as we danced around the stage. ' _I don't know about you_

 _But I'm feeling 22_

 _Everything will be alright_

 _If you keep me next to you_

 _You don't know about me_

 _But I'll bet you want to_

 _Everything will be alright (alright)_

 _If we just keep dancing like we're.'_

Taylor twirled me as we continued to sing.

 _'22, ooh-ooh (oh, oh, oh)_

 _22, ooh-ooh_

 _I don't know about you_

 _22, ooh-ooh_

 _22, ooh-ooh._

 _It feels like one of those nights,_

 _We ditch the whole scene._

 _It feels like one of those nights,_

 _We won't be sleeping._

 _It feels like one of those nights,_

 _You look like bad news._

 _I gotta have you,_

 _I gotta have you.'_

When the song ended, we all met in the middle and took a bow together as the crowd went wild with screams and cheering. I hugged each of my friends and then they disappeared off the stage, allowing me to continue my performance.

'You totally killed it!' Nathan beamed as I got off the stage. He picked me up, spinning me around in a circle before planting a kiss on my lips. 'How on earth am I going to live up to that?' He chuckled.

'Nonsense.' I smiled. 'I just warmed them up for you.'

As Nathan headed onstage for his opening number, the crowd going wild, I slipped away and changed into my red dress for our duet. I looked in the mirror at the dress I'd worn the night Nathan had kissed me and I smiled. It was my new favourite dress for that reason.

'You look wonderful in that dress.' I turned to see Ed stood in the doorway and I froze.

'What are you doing here?' I said, bluntly, knowing I had ten minutes until my performance.

'I needed to talk to you.'

'Well now isn't really a good time.' I told him with a frown, wondering where my friends were. I needed rescuing.

'I've been trying to talk to you for days. Didn't you hear me?' His voice sounded hurt and I looked at him puzzled. I hadn't heard his voice in my mind in months.

'No I didn't. But it doesn't matter, you need to go.'

'You're with him aren't you?' His voice cracked.

'Yes, Ed, but I deserve to be happy.' I slipped my feet back into my wedges, carefully fastening them. 'You _hurt_ me and you promised you wouldn't do that.'

'I'm sorry.' He whispered. 'I just want to make things right.'

'Well you should have thought about that before you cheated on me.' I said, angrily. 'Now let me be happy.' I barged past him, grabbing a bottle of water on my way back to the wings.

I felt paranoid everytime someone knocked on the door as I got ready for the after party. Amanda left my hair in curls, but added a waterfall braid, redoing my make-up to something less obvious, now that I was off the stage. As she applied some subtle lipstick, Daisy, Leanne and Adriana slipped in, the concert having just finished.

'Well you definitely went out with a bang!' Adriana laughed, collapsing on the sofa and straightening up her black bodycon dress.

After a quick wash, I changed into the new dress Forever Unique had sent me. They were quickly becoming my favourite dress shop. The red chiffon-style dress had a cold-shoulder design, showing off my tattoo. The sweetheart neckline showed off a little cleavage, but not too much, and the fitted waistband slimmed my waist before the skirt flowed out in a fit and flare style, landing half-way down my thigh. I stepped out from the bathroom and the girls fussed over me as I slipped on my black wedges. There was a knock at the door and I opened it, spotting a small black box, wrapped in a white ribbon, on the floor. I dipped down, picking it up in surprise.

'What is it?' Leanne asked, curiously.

'A gift from Nathan.' Daisy smiled, knowingly. She'd been there for the last one. I closed the door and sat down on the sofa as the girls gathered around. I pulled the ribbon carefully, opening the box. Inside was a small index card with some writing on it.

 _My beautiful princess,_

 _Thank you for making this tour so special._

 _N xxx_

I moved the card and carefully opened the tissue paper. Inside, was a beautiful silver chain with a music note on it. The message typed underneath it made me smile;

 _Every journey deserves a song. Wear your necklace as a reminder that with the right notes, life can be pitch perfect!_

'That's the cutest thing ever.' Daisy said from beside me and my other friends nodded in agreement.

'Well I was going to suggest a statement necklace but this one is far more perfect.' Amanda smiled. 'Now come here and I'll put it on for you. We have to leave in a minute.'

Nathan had chosen The Borderline as his after-party destination because it was where he'd played his first proper gig. My friends had gone on ahead with my bandmates but I hung back as I was expected to arrive with Nathan. I sat in the empty dressing room, which had been packed up by Amanda, ready for the next artist to use it. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and sighed as the lyrics filled my head.

 _'I stare at my reflection in the mirror:_

 _"Why am I doing this to myself?"_

 _Losing my mind on a tiny error,_

 _I nearly left the real me on the shelf._

 _No, no, no, no, no..._

 _Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars_

 _Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,_

 _It's okay not to be okay._

 _Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart._

 _Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,_

 _Just be true to who you are.'_

My thoughts turned to my grandad and I wondered if he would be proud of me. I hoped he would. I'd tried so hard to make him proud, to make my parents proud.

'Hey, are you ready?' Nathan appeared at the door, his adorable smile on his face.

I nodded, standing up. 'Yep.'

He walked over to me, in his rolled-up sleeve white shirt and black jeans. 'Just when I think you couldn't get more beautiful you prove me wrong.'

I blushed as he pressed his lips against mine. He pulled away and kissed my forehead. 'Thank you for the necklace.'

'You're welcome.' He smiled, looking at its place on my chest. 'Shall we go?'

Somehow, word had gotten out about the party and the outside of the venue was busy with fans and paparazzi, being held back behind temporary barriers by security guards, when we arrived. Nathan climbed out of our car first, holding his hand out for me. I took it and climbed out behind me as we walked inside, hand-in-hand, ignoring the questions about whether or not we were in a relationship. They'd find out soon enough on social media anyway. The Borderline was busy inside, filled with people from both of our labels as well as friends.

'There's some people I want to introduce you to.' Nathan said, squeezing my hand as we walked into the venue together. 'Is that okay?'

'Sure.' I smiled, letting him lead the way.

We reached a dark-haired woman with bright blue eyes and she pulled him into a hug, kissing him on the cheek. 'A fantastic show again, Nate!' She cooed with a smile, turning to face me. 'It's a pleasure to meet you, Lucy. I'm Nathan's mum, Sandra.'

'Lovely to meet you.' I smiled and then she pulled me in for a hug too.

'Lucy, this is my dad Robert and my brother, Chase, and my sister-in-law Josie.' Nathan introduced me to the other people stood there and I couldn't help thinking how much he looked like his brother. Except his brother was lanky-looking. 'My sister Melanie isn't here as she's away with her husband-to-be, but you'll meet her sometime.'

'Hey.' I smiled, shyly, glad he hadn't told me about meeting his family earlier or I would have freaked out. I spent a good fifteen minutes talking to his family and then Nathan led us off to get drinks.

'Cocktail?' He asked with a playful grin.

'I'm afraid I'm going to have to be unladylike and have a beer.' I replied with a grin. 'Do you think your family liked me?'

'Absolutely.' He nodded. 'Especially my mum.' His smile met his eyes. The bartender walked over and he quickly ordered us each a beer. He paid the amount and then turned to me. 'I'd better let you find your girl friends.'

'Thank you.' I said, kissing his cheek.

What I wasn't aware was that there was going to be karaoke at the afterparty. I managed to rope the girls, Taylor included, into a group performance of 'Wannabe' by Spice Girls, which was quite well-recieved considering how cringey it was. I just hoped it wasn't going to be uploaded to Youtube. Then, to make things worse, someone had written my name down to sing. I glanced over at Nathan and he gave me a smug grin.

 _Maybe I like hearing you sing,_ he said into my head and I glared at him.

 _If I'm going down, you're going down with me._

I walked onto the stage, borrowing the guitar that was up there. I recognised it as Nathan's so I knew he wouldn't mind. As I started to play, I glanced over at him and realised he knew what the song was. I took a deep breath and started to sing.

' _All those days watching from the windows_

 _All those years outside looking in_

 _All that time never even knowing_

 _Just how blind I've been_

 _Now I'm here blinking in the starlight_

 _Now I'm here suddenly I see_

 _Standing here it's all so clear_

 _I'm where I'm meant to be._

 _And at last I see the light_

 _And it's like the fog has lifted_

 _And at last I see the light_

 _And it's like the sky is new_

 _And it's warm and real and bright_

 _And the world has somehow shifted_

 _All at once everything looks different_

 _Now that I see you.'_

I went into the instrumental and said into the microphone, with a cheeky grin on my face, 'Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for Mr Nathan Jones.'

He rolled his eyes and stood on the stage beside me, using the second microphone so that we sang the rest of the song together. I played the last chords and the crowd cheered. My wrist felt a little sore but damn did it feel good to be holding a guitar again. Then the power went off, leaving us in darkness.


	20. City that never Sleeps

The party guests screamed and I stood still, my guitar still around myself. I didn't want to fall and injure myself _again_ as I had done in the last powercut.

 _Are you okay?_ Nathan's voice said and I felt the familiar warmth of his arms around me.

 _I'm fine._ I replied. Someone in the crowd lit up the room using the flashlight on their phone and we all looked around in confusion. What was going on? I hadn't felt an explosion that time. The television flickered and we all looked at it, puzzled. The power was out so how was the television working? Unless...

The screen showed a group of people dressed in black, balaclavas covering their faces. They held up a sign reading ' _Rights for Savants now or face a great battle.'_ Then they were gone and the lights came back on. The room was filled with voices once again and people looked around concerned.

'Savants need to be locked up.'

'They don't deserve rights.'

'If I was friends with one I'd hand them into the police.'

Nathan's parents shot him a worried look and I knew then that they were savants too. The world was quickly becoming unsafe to live in and it was more important than ever that I kept my abilities locked away.

I didn't sleep that night. I spent the night tossing and turning as my friends slept peacefully on the sofa bed in the living room. I wished I had Nathan beside me to relax me and help me sleep. I was probably becoming too reliant on his ability but I didn't care. I turned on my laptop, looking through videos on Youtube of the concert. My performance of '22' looked just as good as I thought it had and it made my lips tug upwards into an almost-smile. I shared the video to my Facebook page with the comment:

 _I honestly am so blessed to have the best friends anyone could ask for. Wish my bestie Willow could have joined us tonight! Love you and love you London!_

Then I clicked on a video someone had uploaded of Nathan and I singing our Carly Rae Jepsen cover. It already had over 1,000 likes. I smiled as we danced together onstage, singing to each other and then I scrolled down to read the comments.

 _They are definitely a couple. Could it be any more obvious?!_

 _I've been waiting for a collab from these two! Their voices are so perfect together!_

 _Omg the way he looks at her when he sings! I wish someone looked at me like that._

I smiled to myself again, sharing the link to my Facebook page again.

 _Thank you to Mr Nathan Jones for having me on tour! I've played to amazing crowds, seen beautiful sights and have had the best company!_

Straight away, the comments started and I laughed as they filled up my screen. I shook my head when I saw Nathan's name. He'd commented as his own Facebook page.

 _You were great company too ;)_

He was flirting with me in public. A new conversation popped up on Facebook, a message from him.

 _Shouldn't you be asleep?_

 _If I could sleep._ I typed back quickly.

 _I can't sleep either._ He responded.

 _I always sleep better when you're next to me. It's like I feel safe._

He sent me a smiley face. _I sleep better knowing you're safe. Are the girls still awake?_

 _Fast asleep. I think the dancing in front of 20,000 people wore them out._

He didn't reply an I sighed. Maybe he'd fallen asleep too. I realised my first Tour Diary had been posted by Darren that day and I clicked on it, replaying the events of Paris from me joking around with Amanda and Daisy in the dressing room to soundcheck to my performance of 'Skyscraper'. Then there were the 'home movies' of us exploring Paris together, seeing the sights. And finally Disneyland Paris. Nathan and I whizzing past the camera on the teacups, giggling, and then us posing in front of Cinderella's castle and watching the fireworks. Already the comments showed that people were loving 'Lathan' and it made me surprised. Ed and I had gotten a lot of attention but then maybe we'd been too public with our relationship? Nathan and I were keeping it between us, our family and friends. Sure, the fans weren't daft and a lot of them were figuring we were a couple, but we hadn't openly announced it.

I ran my hands through my hair, frowning when I realised I hadn't taken out my waterfall braid. I unclipped it carefully, running my fingers through the strands to separate them. I picked up my songbook from beside my bed, flicking to the most recent song, the one I wasn't even sure how to finish.

 _'I'm standing in the center of the room_

 _I watch the boys follow girl's perfume_

 _All is as it should be I assume_

 _Except for the distance between me and you.'_

I sang the lyrics quietly to myself, tapping my pencil against the notebook as I sang.

 _'You're standing as a flower on the wall_

 _The room is still but we're about to fall_

 _And all the names that brought us here_

 _Simply fade away...'_

 _Can you let me in please?_ Nathan's voice in my head took me by surprise.

My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. _Let you in?_ I glanced at my clock. It was 2am. Surprisingly, not too late, but then the party had ended pretty sharpish after the blackout. We'd been home just after midnight.

 _I'm outside and it's pretty damn cold._

I smiled, grabbing the key and walking downstairs to meet him. I met him at the gate, opening it by hand as I was afraid that the buzzer would wake the girls up.

He looked at me, stood there in my Little Mermaid pyjama shorts and red tank top and shook his head. 'You must be freezing you lunatic!'

I was freezing. Coming out in my pyjamas and slippers wasn't my best idea. I shivered and he took off his hoodie, wrapping it around my shoulders. I smiled as I felt the warmth and inhaled his scent. 'Come on, let's get up in the warm.'

My flat felt cosy when we got back up in the warm and I closed the door quietly behind us, trying not to disturb my friends. I filled a glass in the bathroom with water for Nathan before joining him in my bedroom, closing the door gently behind me.

'You look cute in my hoodie.' He smiled, his eyes shining in the dimly-lit room. He looked cute all the time. That was what I wanted to reply. Instead, I simply blushed whilst walking over to him, sitting on the bed beside him. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead as he whispered, 'come on let's try and get some sleep.'

I felt confused and cold when I woke up without the familiar warm arms around me. I rolled over and looked at the empty space behind me. Had I dreamt that Nathan had come over? I spotted his hoodie by my bed and realised I hadn't. I slipped into the zip-up hoodie and headed into the hallway, smiling when I heard Nathan's voice. He was talking to my friends.

'Yeah I met Lucy when we were working in an old record store together.' Adriana was saying.

'And I've known her since she first moved to Brighton. Weirdos attract each other and all that.' Leanne added. I rolled my eyes at my friend. 'We're best friends though, so screw her over like Ed did and we're going to have to break that pretty face of yours.'

'I'm not going to do that to her. I'd never cheat on _anyone_ let alone Lucy. She's incredible and I care about her probably more than I should.' Nathan was saying.

I leant back against the wall and released a breath I hadn't even realised I'd been holding. I knew he cared about me and I cared about him too. But was it too soon? What _if_ he did hurt me? What if he broke my heart just like Ed had. I'd probably still been in pieces if his mood-changing abilities hadn't helped keep me calm and relaxed.

'So are you guys official?' Leanne was asking.

'I'd like to think so.'

We were? I ran a hand through my hair, which was still curly from the night before. I hadn't known if we were official or not because it hadn't been discussed. The press still weren't certain either and neither was the world of Facebook. I pushed open the ajar living room door and stepped inside.

'Well good morning sleeping beauty.' Leanne teased and I realised I was the only person still in my pyjamas. I blushed, glancing over at Nathan, who was in the kitchen.

'What are you doing?' I asked him, curiously.

'He's cooking us breakfast.' Adriana grinned. 'A man that can sing and cook? I like him. You can keep him.'

'What are you making?'

'Pancakes.' He smiled. 'I hope you don't mind. I found the ingrediants in the cupboard and fridge.'

'Oh I don't mind, go ahead.' I replied. It was quite nice having someone who could cook more than just pizza and the other basics. 'I'll just go and have a shower.'

I showered quickly, changing into my blue skinny jeans, a white t-shirt and a teal-coloured cropped sleeve blazer, a black wired bow headband in my hair. When I was ready, I applied a little bit of natural make-up and walked into the living room, smiling at Nathan hanging out with two of my best friends as they ate breakfast together. I joined them with the friendly natter, until my phone began to rang. I glanced down, surprised to see my manager's name on the screen. He knew I was flying out to Detroit the following day as it was going to be Good Friday.

'Hello?'

'I have some fantastic news!'

'You do?' I raised an eyebrow and walked out of the living room, leaving three of my favourite people chatting away.

'I've got you some work in America.'

'I'm catching up with my family.' I frowned. I needed time to recover from the tour, not work my butt off even more.

'Yes, you're out there for a week but then I thought you could do some publicity out there. I've booked flights and accomodation for a week in New York and then three weeks down in LA where we can also film the video for _Made in the USA_ , your next single. I'll fly out and join you when I can but I've got my trip to Hawaii right in the middle so I'm going to have to trust you not to make a fool of yourself.'

'I'm going to New York and Hawaii?' My eyes widened and my stomach churned with excitement. Then I thought of Nathan and I frowned. Four whole weeks without him. What was I going to do when I was restless at night? He couldn't just turn up and surprise me.

'Yes you are. I cancelled your flight home this morning so you'll fly back from Los Angeles. Not sure why you weren't flying first class out there but you are now. Might as well live it up. I'll send over your schedule later and you can read through it. And I'll see you in New York.'

That night, I packed even more than I already had packed and I squeezed as much as I could into my two suitcases, carefully adding some designer outfits in their dress bags to the mix. I didn't sleep particularly well and, at five, I woke up ready to head to the airport. I changed into a baggy t-shirt, leggings and my disney converse, throwing on Nathan's hoodie that I seemed to have stolen. It was just so comfy.

Nathan drove me to the airport as he wanted some time with me before I left. Even if it meant a drive at five thirty in the morning. He squeezed my knee as he sped out onto the motorway towards Heathrow. 'You're very quiet.'

'It's crazy early.' I replied, stretching my arms out in front of me and yawning. 'Plus, I was only planning on being away for a week. Now I'm away for four.'

'It'll be a great opportunity.' He said, giving me a reassuring smile. 'Will help make you big over in the USA and it might mean that one day you'll get to tour the USA.'

'I won't see you for a month.' I frowned and he squeezed my knee again. Benefits of driving an automatic.

'But you'll have a great time and we'll still talk.'

I worried, in truth, that he'd change his mind about me. Or find someone else like Ed had. There were going to be thousands and thousands of miles between us and the thought made me feel sad. I still felt down when I boarded the plane, having given Nathan a kiss goodbye in his car and then heading straight through security. I sat down in my comfy, reclining seat and I soon fell asleep.

I arrived in Detroit airport at 1.35pm, and I snuck off to the toilets to change and apply some make-up after I had made it through Border Control. I felt fresher in my full-length denim dungarees and striped top, my hair free of the bun I'd tied it in. By 2pm, I had my luggage and I was in the Arrivals lounge. I spotted my parents and Willow stood straight away, a banner reading 'Welcome our superstar' in their hands. I shook my head, although I was grinning, as I hurried towards them. I hugged my parents first before almost tackling my cousin to the ground.

'I missed your crazy hugs!' She said in my ear and I smiled.

'I missed you!' I replied. I turned back to my parents. 'And I've missed Sunday dinner with you two!'

'Well we're hoping to fly home next week.' My mum said with a smile. 'I think the security all over the world is a lot tighter at the moment.' She glanced over at the armed police officers stood in the arrivals lounge and I knew she was right.

'So how's Nathan?' Willow said as I hung some of my clothes in her wardrobe. I was sharing a room with her as the study was being used by my parents in the day when they were working from the US.

'Yeah he's good.' I said with a small smile.

'Have you told your parents yet? Because they know something is definitely going on between you.'

'I'll tell them when I'm ready. They really liked Ed but they don't know the full story.' I hung up a new designer piece and my cousin walked over, examining it.

'If you're ever sent anything you don't like, remember I'm your size.' She grinned and I rolled my eyes.

My phone beeped and I realised I had an unread email from Eric, regarding my New York schedule. I opened the e-mail and scanned it quickly.

 _Friday 18th April- Flight to New York City. Check into hotel. Performance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon._

 _Saturday 19th April- Photoshoot and interview with Cosmopolitan_

 _Monday 21st April- Performance at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show with the Weeknd_

 _Wednesday 23rd April- Interview and photoshoot with Teen Vogue_

 _Friday 25th April- Flight to LAX Airport, Los Angeles_

My schedule wasn't too busy and I was relieved. I'd visited New York once before and I'd not seen everything I had wanted to. Perhaps I'd actually have some time to myself.

'Performance at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show?' Willow read over my shoulder, her eyebrows high on her forehead. 'Your parents are going to freak.'

'It's just a performance.' I shrugged.

'Just a performance? Have you seen what those girls wear?' She grabbed her laptop, quickly typing something in. 'Look, the wonderful Rihanna, performing and _still_ wearing lingerie.'

I frowned. 'Of course Eric put me down for this. He wants me to have sex appeal.' I hit my head against the wall. 'I'm not comfortable with this.'

'Well it's about to get worse.' Willow was looking at something on her laptop, shaking her head. 'Have you seen who else is performing?'

'No.'

She turned the screen to face me. There was Taylor. Not a problem. And then there was the other person, the one who was a problem. Ed Sheeran. New York wasn't going to be as fun as I thought.

For as long as I could remember, Easter had always worked in the same way; we'd wake up and dress in pastel, spring colours and then we'd have an Easter Egg hunt round the garden. In my family, it was always competitive and tackling was quite often involved. When the winner had finally been announced, we'd head inside and have our Easter roast lunch and then spend the rest of the afternoon playing games, outside if the weather permitted us to do so. Even though Willow and I were now 23, things hadn't changed. At all. Easter passed by quickly and on Tuesday, Willow was back at work as she only had Friday to Monday off. I spent the time catching up with my parents, sneaking off to Skype Nathan whenever I could. Before long, it was Thursday night and I was packing ready for New York. That was when I had an idea.

'Come to New York with me.' I said with a smile as I carefully folded my leggings, placing them in my case.

She raised an eyebrow. 'Surely you can't be serious?'

'Why not?'

'You can't just say 'come to New York' with me when you're flying out in twelve hours time.'

'I bet I can get you a seat on my flight.'

'It's insane, isn't it?'

'Probably.' I grinned. 'But it would be fun. You can meet my band. They're flying out tonight to get there first thing in the morning. Oh, and you can stop me killing my manager.'

'I'm only off work until Monday. I have to go back in on Tuesday.'

'So come for a long weekend.' I smiled, grabbing my phone. 'What do you say?'

'Okay, but you're making the calls Miss Famous.'

I managed to get Willow a seat on our low-budget airliner to New York. The journey was just over an hour and a half and before long we were landing in LaGuardia airport. We collected our bags and headed through to arrivals. Eric was stood there, looking bored as always, with Matt and his side. Then I spotted Daisy, Jesse and Jake.

'Luce!' Daisy pulled me into a huge hug, grinning.

'You only saw me last week.' I laughed, shaking my head at her.

'But I was so used to seeing you everyday!'

'We don't have time for this.' Eric said with an eye roll. He glanced over at Willow, who was stood nervously at my side. 'Are you the cousin?'

'This is Willow.' I told everybody. 'More like a sister than a cousin.'

'It's just as well I booked enough rooms.' He sighed. 'Come on, let's go.'

Excitement pumped through my veins as the black 8-seater with blacked out windows tore along the highway, the Manhattan skyline coming into view. I spotted the Empire State Building and the Chrysler building first and I smiled. It was just as magical as it had been when I visited four years previously. I looked over at my friends, smiling at the awe on their faces. New York was a place made of dreams and that day was no exception, as the skyscrapers glowed in the morning sunlight.

Eric had surprisingly not been stingy when it came to our hotel, but then I did wonder if he had got a special rate as I was staying there, seeing as every member of staff who passed me greeted 'Miss May' with a huge smile and a 'I'm a big fan' comment. It was weird that, even in America, people recognised me. Our hotel, lit up on the exterior by purple lighting, was a five minute walk from Times Square and it had four stars. Our Queen rooms were on the fourth floor and I was hardly surprised to find out that Jesse and Matt were sharing a twin room, Eric had a room to himself and Daisy and Jake were sharing. Which meant I had my cousin all to myself, something I was quite pleased about. We unlocked the door and walked into our room, along the patterned grey carpet.

There were two queen-sized beds with plump white cushions and a white duvet, a flatscreen built into the wall, curtains on one side leading to the glass door of the bathroom, and then a white desk with white swivel chair. Then I noticed the view. I gasped as I looked out of the large glass window, the Empire State building in the distance. Like Nathan had always seemed to have, I had a room with a view.

'Wow.' Willow gasped, walking over to join me. 'This is a bit different from the hostel we stayed in when we were last here.'

'I know.' I whispered, looking out at the view in front of me. 'It's crazy just how fast things can change.'

After lunch, I was sent to a beauty salon near the hotel to be given a make-over for the show, along with Daisy. Willow sat reading a magazine in the waiting area, whilst we were waxed (legs, bikini- ouch, and eyebrows), our nails were given a manicure, we were given a facial and then finally our hair was done. I wished I'd had Amanda there to do it, but she was spending the weekend looking at wedding venues, much to Eric's annoyance.

'You'd look great with bangs.' The hairdresser told me with a smile as she trimmed by split ends after washing my hair.

'You totally would.' Willow said from the uncomfortable black sofa. 'I've always said you would. Would hide the forehead you hate so much.'

'It's just such a big forehead.' I frowned.

And that was how I decided to get bangs. By five o'clock, I had bangs, which framed my eyes perfectly **(AN: Think Lea Michele with curly hair, bangs and the ombre)** and my hair had been styled in my natural curls. I looked in the mirror and smiled, admiring the brown eyeshadows and eyeliner framing my eyes. Not bad. It was a pretty good new look.

Eric arrived shortly after, looking at me in surprise. 'You should really speak to me before doing something drastic to your look.'

I frowned, although he couldn't see this properly due to my new full-fringe across my forehead, falling just short of my eyebrows.

'I think it really suits you.' The hairdresser smiled, reassuringly, and my cousin and bandmate nodded in agreement.

'It does and it makes your face look slimmer. Just remember to run things by me next time.' Eric said, sounding unimpressed. I tried not to be hurt by the comment about my face looking slimmer. 'Okay, let's roll. We've got time for a quick dinner and then it's off to the tv studio.' He handed the hairdresser a wad of notes. 'That should cover it.'

Friday passed by quickly and my interview and performance on Jimmy Fallon went down well, as did my new haircut. The press were referring to my hair as the new Spring style on Saturday and I was complimented on it again at my interview and photoshoot with Cosmopolitan magazine. When Sunday rolled down, I was relieved I had a day off as I felt like I'd been excluding Willow. She'd been everywhere with me, yes, but it couldn't have been exciting for her, sitting around the whole time. I woke up fairly early on Sunday, so I showered quickly and headed down to the hotel lobby to Skype Nathan without disturbing my sleeping cousin. He answered almost straight away.

'Hey princess.' He said with his signature smile, looking cute with his ruffled hair and hoodie on.

I adjusted the blue peplum top with white polka dots on it, as the strap had gotten twisted. 'Hey, how are you?'

'I'm good.' He smiled. 'I know I said it on the phone yesterday but I really _love_ the new hair. Makes you look even prettier, if that was even possible. How's New York?'

I blushed and bit my lip at his compliment and I wished I could kiss him. 'New York is good but I've not actually got to explore yet. And it would be better if you were here.'

He shot me a lopsided smile. 'But you've got the band and Willow. Give it a few days and you won't even remember who I am.'

'Not going to happen.'

'Is it tomorrow that you have the Victoria's Secret show?'

'Yes.' I replied, nervously. 'I wish I didn't though.'

'It'll be fun.'

'I think I'm going to have to wear lingerie.'

He raised an eyebrow and gave me another crooked smile. 'Damn, why didn't I get tickets?'

'You're not missing out on anything.' I told him. 'Plus it's meant that Eric has been sending me to the hotel gym. My legs are _killing_ me.'

'I wish he'd stop putting so much pressure on you. You're beautiful and you have a gorgeous body.'

'I think you need your eyes checked.'

'I think _you_ do.' He laughed.

'Hey, you should have woken me.' Willow appeared in the lobby, a smile on her face. She glanced down at her laptop. 'Oh hey, Nathan.' She sat beside me, being nosy.

'Hey Willow, how are you?'

'Good thanks. Just glad to have a normal day without photoshoots or interviews or live performances.' She winked, nudging me with her elbow.

'I know the feeling.' Nathan smiled. 'Well I'll let you girls get exploring. Speak later. Bye.'

'Bye!' My cousin and I chorused and then he was gone.

'Right, let's grab a bagel and get exploring! It's a beautiful day out!' Willow smiled.

We headed to Times Square first, sunglasses shielding our identities from the rest of the world, although a few people glanced my way and I did wonder if it was with recognition. We took selfies in Times Square, went on the ferris wheel in Toys R Us and then checked out the Disney Store, all before 12pm. Then we walked over to the Rockefeller Center as we'd decided we'd make the most of the clear, blue skies.

'I can't believe we didn't do this last time.' Willow said as we joined our the queue for our given timeslot.

I took off my sunglasses, tucking them safely in my Michael Kors grey tote bag. 'I know but at least we're doing it now and the weather is gorgeous.'

'People are totally looking at you.' My cousin whispered. I looked up and a few people were glancing my way. 'Is it weird?'

'I'm kind of used to it now.' I replied, honestly. 'And people don't usually come and talk to me, it's usually just a few glances.'

The queue moved forwards and we were welcomed into a lift, squeezing into the small space, shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers. The roof suddenly became see-through, and the elevator shaft was filled with disco lights as we raced upwards. I blinked. We were moving so quick. Within 43 seconds, we were on the 67th floor. Willow grabbed my hand, pulling me outside.

'Wow look at how big Central Park is!' She commented, walking over to the glass barrier protecting us from the drop below.

'Smile.' I said, snapping a few photos of her whilst there wasn't a big crowd. We swapped and then a security guard took a photo of the two of us together.

'Isn't it crazy how everything looks so small when you're this high up!' She pointed at the Empire State Building as we continued walking around the decking. 'Look, it doesn't even look that big from up here!'

'Oh my god it's Lucy May!' A group of girls whispered and I suddenly wished I'd put my sunglasses back on. Willow laughed, shaking her head, as the group of girls approached us.

'Hey.' I said with a smile, feeling a little disappointed that by day of 'normality' had now lost its normality.

'We love your new hair.' The blonde girl said in a thick, southern accent. 'It really suits you.'

'Thanks.' I continued to smile, trying to make myself look as relaxed as possible.

'You are so lucky you got to go on tour with Nathan Jones. He is so dreamy.' The brunette piped up and my cousin smirked from behind them. There was so much that they didn't know.

'Totally, I was so jealous.' The black haired girl sighed.

'Can we have a photo with you?' The blonde girl asked, hopefully.

'Sure.' I replied, casually. Anything to get my work-free day back.

'Want me to take it?' Willow offered.

'Sure!' The blonde grinned, giving my cousin her iPhone. The girls surrounded me, pouting and posing for the picture. A few other snaps were taken and then they turned to face me again, smiles on their faces.

'Thank y'all so much.' The brunette drawled in her accent.

'No problem.' I shrugged. 'Thanks for being fans.'

'Good luck at the VS show tomorrow!' The black haired girl said and then they were gone.

'And back to my day off...' I sighed, slipping my sunglasses back on in a hope at hiding my identity.

'I'm afraid you don't get a day off with your career.' Willow laughed, pulling out her phone and snapping some more pictures of the New York skyline. 'You have a 24/7 job.'

We grabbed lunch in the underground part of the Rockefeller Centre, where there were restaurants and shops, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon in Central Park, cycling around and sunning ourselves in the spring sunshine. When the sun went down, we headed for the Empire State Building and we watched the city come alive with lights below us. It was still the city that never slept.

I hardly slept the next night, spending most of my night trying to get comfortable. I was going to be spending my whole Monday at the 69th Regiment Armory, rehearsing and prepping for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The whole thing was eating my insides, causing me to feel ridiculously nervous. For one, I was performing at a Fashion Show. Then there was the fact that my ex was there, the one who I'd told to go away when he spontaneously turned up at my final show in London. Then there was my outfit. What was I going to be wearing? Was it going to be slutty? Was it going to show off my gross figure? Frustrated, I got up, changed into the Victoria's Secret work-out clothes Eric had got me and I ended to the gym on the third floor. I tied my hair back into a ponytail as I walked through the doors, placing my bottle of water on the small table next to the treadmill.

I spent the next fifteen minutes running on the treadmill, until I was sweaty and tired. Then I moved to the rowing machine.

'Funny time to be working out.' A voice commented and I glanced up to see Jesse stood there, a bottle of water in his hand.

I squinted at the clock; 1am. 'I could say the same to you.'

'I've just got in.' He said with a lopsided smile. 'I had a date.'

'You always have dates.' I rolled my eyes and he shrugged. 'Who was it this time?'

'Remember the stage manager from Tonight with Jimmy Fallon? Well she's great.'

'I bet.' I shook my head, stopping the rowing machine and slowly standing up. I grabbed my water and took a gulp of it.

'So really, what are you doing here at 1am?'

'Making sure that whatever they make me wear tomorrow doesn't look shit on me.' I said, wiping my forehead with a towel.

'Are you serious?' He frowned. 'Luce, there are guys just lining up to date you. You're probably on millions of bedroom walls.'

'Bollocks.'

He grinned at my use of foul language. 'It isn't bollocks, really. You have a smokin' hot figure, you'll fit right in at the show.'

'Thanks.. I think.' I looked at my bandmate and wondered how his lame flirting had got him so many dates over the past couple of months. 'I'm going to shower and try and get some sleep.'

'Good call.' He nodded. 'Sleep well.'

'I'll try.'

Luckily, I managed to get to sleep after my late-night gym session and I didn't wake up until Willow shook me awake for breakfast. After having a light breakfast, as suggested by Eric, I said goodbye to my cousin and she headed off to the airport after promising me we would speak again soon. Then it was time to get to work. A package had arrived for me in the hotel reception, a pink Victoria's Secret bag. I opened the bag and looked at the card.

 _Lucy,_

 _We're looking forward to meeting you today! See you soon,_

 _The VS Angels x_

Inside was a pair of grey 'PINK' yoga pants and a white baggy top with 'Love Pink' marked across it. I changed into it in my room quickly, figuring that I was probably supposed to wear it. I secured my black converse to my feet and a quick glance at my phone told me it was time to head to the lobby. I bit my lip, nervously, and headed downstairs, ready to start the long day ahead of me.

'Woah.' I gasped as we walked into the main room of 69th Regiment Armory. Chairs covered three sides of the room, staggered to allow the audience to see, and they faced the silver, glittery runway. At the entrances to the stage were two giant, white teddy bears and building blocks marked with a V and a S. I looked behind me at Eric, who was ignoring me, and I suddenly wished that my band hadn't flown home that morning. It was going to be rubbish singing to just a backing track.

'Hi Lucy, welcome!' A smiley lady with a clipboard and headpiece said, air-kissing me. 'It's a pleasure to have you here! Let me take you backstage.' I glanced over my shoulder, but Eric was on the phone. I followed the smiley, bubbly lady backstage.

Backstage was huge, pink curtains completely surrounding the walls. There were a few makeshift dressing rooms made from the same pink curtain and mirrors were everywhere, as were canvas white chairs and dressing tables, which were decorated with make-up, rollers, hair products, curling tongs and magazines. There was a buffet table on one side, mainly with healthy snacks, and there were rails filled with outfits for the show.

'This is where you'll be based.' She told me, leading me to a white canvas chair. On the railing was a dress bag containing whatever my outfit was, and there was a folded pink silk dressing gown on the chair, alongside a pair of pink flipflops. 'Soundcheck starts in ten so make yourself comfortable and you can leave your belongings here. Can I get you a drink of anything?'

I glanced at the bottles of water on my dressing table. 'No that's great, thank you.'

'Lucy!' I looked up in response to the familiar voice, to see Taylor Swift walking towards me, her arms wide open. She pulled me into a big, familiar hug. 'How are you?'

'I'm good thanks, how are you?'

'Better now that I've got you for company.' She smiled. 'When they announced you were performing I was so relieved.' I wish I could have felt the same about performing. Instead I was stupidly tense. 'You look nervous. Are you nervous?'

I nodded. 'I don't know what to expect.'

'It'll be so much fun, honestly.' She shot me a reassuring smile. 'This is my third show now and I love it. Plus you already know Gigi, Martha and Karlie.'

'That's the least of my concerns.' I froze as Ed walked backstage, talking to Abel.

'Oh.' Her eyes followed mine and she gave me a reassuring smile. 'Just try to enjoy it.' She put her handbag on the seat next to mine and I was relieved to have a dressing room spot next to her. 'And we've got the afterparty later so that should be fun. Us girls have to stick together.'

Ed glanced up at me, realising I was there and I suddenly wished my bangs were long enough to hide under.

'Lucy, Abel, we'll soundcheck you guys first.' A stage manager called, signalling at me. I sighed with relief. I didn't need to confront my ex. Not yet, anyway.

Soundcheck wasn't hugely exciting. I sang 'Heartattack' as models walked around the stage, just wearing their Victoria's Secret sweats as it was rehearsal, rollers in their hair. Then Abel joined me for 'Love me harder' whilst models strutted the stage again. And then I left the stage so he could sing 'Can't feel my face.' It didn't last that long, less than an hour in total, and soon I was ushered back to the dressing room and rollers were being fixed to my hair like I was a Victoria's Secret Angel, whilst I was being given a pedicure.

'So what are the rest of your plans for New York?' Taylor asked me as we were both given pedicures at the same time. We were both sat in the pale pink silk dressing gowns with 'Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, New York 2015' written on the back. The surrounding Victoria's Angels were currently modelling the same look.

'I have an interview and photoshoot with Teen Vogue on Wednesday but that's it. What about you?'

'Well I was hoping you'd have some free time for a project.' She grinned.

'A project?'

'My next single is _Welcome to New York_ and I thought that whilst I was in New York, and most of my friends were too, that maybe I would shoot the video. Are you interested?'

'You want me to be in your video?'

'Of course.' She smiled, her blue eyes twinkling.

'Absolutely!' I said, returning the smile. I was going to be in one of Taylor Swift's music videos. So awesome. The woman giving me a pedicure finished, leaving the foam dividers between my toes. She moved onto my finger nails, gently filing them and removing the current nail varnish.

'I'm glad you're here for company! I don't know what I would have done if it was just Ed and I.'

I suddenly felt guilty for being the wedge between Taylor and Ed. 'I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be friends.'

'Honestly, don't worry. Why would I want to be friends with someone who does that to my friends? I've always been against cheaters. Always.' She gave me a reassuring smile and I shivered, more out of nerves than anything. It was pretty warm backstage and it had to be; I was wearing the Victoria's Secret underwear provided to me underneath my gown. Luckily, though, I'd been told that I had something I'd be wearing over the top on stage. 'So where's Daisy and the rest of your band?'

'They went back home as they weren't needed tonight. They'll be coming over to LA when I'm there though.'

'Have you ever been to LA?'

'No, but it looks incredible.'

'It is.' Taylor smiled. 'The beaches are lovely, the houses, the Hollywood sights. It's not cheap, though, mind you, but hey if you've made it in LA then you've made it anywhere.' A photographer came over, snapping some pictures of us talking and then disappeared. I looked over, surprised. 'They like recording backstage as well as onstage.' Taylor explained. 'They'll be video cameras back here later too.' I gulped and she reached out to squeeze my arm. 'Lu, we're going to have a great time. I promise.'

We were ready an hour and a half later and, after grabbing some pre-show healthy food from the buffet, we posed for photos with the Angels backstage, Taylor taking a jokey one of us all cosied up on a bed in our robes for her Instagram. Then Taylor, Karlie, Martha, Gigi and I posed for a picture together, working our best pouts. I uploaded it to Instagram, updating the fans on how I was spending my Monday;

 _On Monday's we wear pink. Am I a VS angel yet?_

'Right girls, time to get changed.' A man wearing a headset said, adjusting his built-in microphone.

My heart hammered against my chest as I grabbed the dressbag and quickly made my way into one of the built-in dressing rooms, so that I didn't have to get changed in front of everyone else. I unzipped the bag, holding my breath as the silk number was revealed. A short, black silk playsuit with cut-out lace detail under the bust and over the bust. So this was why my underwear was so tiny. It needed to fit underneath the playsuit without being revealed. I slipped off my Victoria's Secret pink gown and slipped into the teddy, checking my appearance in the mirror. It just covered my bum. Just. It was very sexy. My parents were going to have a heart attack. Feeling self-conscious, I wrapped myself back in my pink gown, vacating the dressing room. Taylor walked out of the one next to me at the same time, looking fabulous in a pink satin nightie and a long, black pink and lace matching gown.

'Lucy, Taylor, I have your shoes.' The stylist told us, appearing right by us. She passed us each a pair of black stilettos. Taylor's had a pink, fluffy decoration on them and mine had the same but in black. I slipped them onto my feet, surprised at how comfy they were.

'Five minutes to showtime.' Someone announced over the speaker and some of the models rushed around, excitedly, in their underwear and wings. A hair stylist came over to me, applying more hairspray to my already-curly hair and Taylor's lipstick was touched up.

My friend reached over, squeezing my hand. 'Are you okay?'

I nodded, mutely as a camera went past, panning around the backstage area. I spotted Abel and Ed walking into the room and I self-consciously wrapped my gown tighter around myself. I reached for a bottle of water, quickly taking a sip to satisfy my dry mouth.

'Taylor, are you ready to open the show?' The stage manager was asking my friend.

Taylor pulled me into a hug. 'Good luck and I'll catch you later.' Then she was gone.

I found myself a spot next to a screen as the title credits were rolling and the camera panned to reveal the catwalk. Gigi and Karlie stood beside me, smiles on their faces as they squealed with excitement, flashing their perfect bodies. Did I have to go onstage with these gorgeous models? I didn't really want to.

'Hey girl.' Abel's voice startled me and I jumped. 'A bit nervous, huh?'

'Yes.' I replied, biting my lip as Taylor walked out onto the stage, looking glamorous and gorgeous. She could be mistaken for a VS Angel easily.

Abel patted my back gently. 'Haven't you just been on a crazy-busy tour of Europe?'

'Yes, but I was wearing a lot more.' I said with a nervous laugh. 'And I wasn't in a room of perfect-looking girls.' I watched as Karlie and Gigi prepped themselves by the entrance of the stage, shaking their wings.

'You don't give yourself enough credit. You're gorgeous.' He said with a friendly smile. 'If you weren't in a secret relationship with Nathan Jones then I'd totally ask you out.'

I blushed, looking down at my nailbeds. 'Is it that obvious, huh?'

'Yes, it really is.' He replied with a chuckle. 'Now come on, try to relax.'

I wished I could, but that required a certain someone being there with me. I sighed, focussing on the screen, trying to take my mind off of my own performance.

Five minutes later and Taylor was off the stage, buzzing with excitement. Then it was my time to shine. Hair and make-up quickly fixed my curls and make-up, reapplying some of it, and then it was showtime. The stage manager called me over and I stood in the wings, nervously. The microphone was passed to me and I hid in the corner of the wings, shrugging myself out of my gown as the models came off stage. I was given a thumbs up and I knew it was showtime.

I took a deep breath, stepping out onto the stage and singing to the backing music as I had rehearsed earlier that day. _'Never put my love out on the line_

 _Never said "Yes" to the right guy_

 _Never had trouble getting what I want_

 _But when it comes to you, I'm never good enough.'_

The crowd cheered and applauded as I did my best model walk, careful not to lose my footing. My parents were going to have a freak out, but the audience were responding well as the camera filmed me.

 _'When I don't care_

 _I can play 'em like a Ken doll_

 _Won't wash my hair_

 _Then make 'em bounce like a basketball.'_

The crowd cheered and I knew that Karlie had walked out onto the stage. As long as I kept out of the way of the Angel's wings, maybe it wasn't going to be so bad after all.

When I ended the song, the crowd errupted into applause and some whistled, making me blush. I felt undressed, but compared to the models who had shared the catwalk with me, I was actually pretty overdressed. The next music started up almost straight away, so I didn't have time to take it all in.

 _'Tell me something I need to know_

 _Then take my breath and never let it go_

 _If you just let me invade your space_

 _I'll take the pleasure, take it with the pain.'_

I moved across the stage as I sang, doing my best strut. _'And if in the moment I bite my lip_

 _Baby, in that moment you'll know this is_

 _Something bigger than us and beyond bliss_

 _Give me a reason to believe it.'_

The first model came out, this time Martha, and she winked at me as she passed, singing along to the music. I moved my hips in time to the chorus, dancing in what I hoped was a sexy manner.

 _''Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder_

 _And if you really need me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder_

 _Baby, love me harder_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Love me, love me, love me,_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Harder, harder, harder.'_

The crowd screamed as Abel walked out onto the stage behind me. _'I know your motives and you know mine_

 _The ones that love me, I tend to leave behind_

 _If you know about me and choose to stay_

 _Then take this pleasure and take it with the pain.'_

I turned to face him as he reached me and he gave me a reassuring smile as he sang to me, his hand on my waist.

 _'And if in the moment you bite your lip_

 _When I get you moaning you know it's real_

 _Can you feel the pressure between your hips?_

 _I'll make it feel like the first time.'_

The whole performance was quite sexy and I wasn't sure if it was because of the models in lingerie or The Weeknd and I's performance, as we danced together, my hips moving in time to the music. Either way, the crowd loved it and I felt on top of the world when I walked offstage, leaving Abel to perform 'I can't feel my face.'

'You were awesome!' Taylor said, pulling me into a hug as I reached the dressing room. 'And you look seriously hot!' I smiled in the hug, until I realised that Ed was watching me, biting his lip and not with nerves.

I moved back from the hug, turning my attention back to Taylor. 'Have you seen my robe?'

She grabbed the robe, my name on the back of it, from a nearby rail and passed it to me. 'Seriously though Lu, well done, you were amazing!'

'Can I get changed now?' I asked, pulling the robe tightly around myself, aware that someone was still watching me.

'We have to stay like this until the bows at the end.' Taylor replied. 'But don't worry. Come on, let's take some more crazy photos together to pass the time.'

The show passed quickly and after our bows, we headed back to the dressing room to get changed for the after-party. All around us, models stripped into their underwear and changed into their outfits, but Taylor and I headed off to the dressing rooms. I wasn't _that_ confident. My dress for the evening was a black strapless mini dress with a sweetheart neckline. It was simple but stylish and I'd paired it with silver stilettos and a statement necklace. Taylor was wearing a white, bodycon, strapless mini dress with black shoes, looking sexy but classy. When we were ready, lots of the models had already disappeared, heading off to the after-party location, so we quickly gathered our belongings, ready to send them back to our hotels, and then we piled into Taylor's car, heading for TAO Downtown.

When I got back to my hotel that night, I was tipsy and lonely. I kicked off my shoes and unzipped my dress, changing into a baggy t-shirt and leggings and then wiping my make-up off of my face. After an hour or so of tossing and turning, I finally made it to sleep.

I was woken up by my phone buzzing and I groaned as I glanced at the screen; 11am. I'd overslept and missed breakfast. Taylor's name filled the screen and I answered it, trying to sound as awake as I could. 'Hello?'

'Hey, how are you?'

'Not quite as bright and breezy as you.' I laughed in response, thinking back to last night. We'd spent the night as honorary angels, dancing and posing for photos and taking far too many selfies. And probably drinking more than planned too.

'I've been up a while.' She replied. 'Were you still up for the video shoot today?'

I'd forgotten about that. It was better than moping about, although a day in bed would have been nice. 'Yeah, sure.'

'Great. Meet you at the castle in Central park in an hour?'

'Sure.' I didn't hesitate to get ready. I showered, put on my day make-up and dried my curly hair. Taylor had said to wear pastel colours, so I dressed in my high-waisted mint coloured jeans, a white lace crop top and a loose cardigan, wedges on my feet. The outfit was definitely very spring. I grabbed my teal bag and headed straight to Central Park, only stopping to grab a bagel on the way.

When I got there, Taylor was already there in her mint-coloured skater skirt, heels and yellow dogtooth-print blouse, along with Gigi and Karlie, who were going to be in the video with us. A camera crew were there too, and someone who I assumed was the director. Taylor waved at me and I walked up the steps into the castle courtyard, where the girls pulled me into a hug.

'So,' I said with a smile, 'what's the plan for this video?'

The plan was to just be filmed having fun, which was fine by me. We started the shoot with being filmed cycling around Central Park and joking around in Belvedere Castle. Then we shot some scenes of us walking up Fifth Avenue and we were even filmed walking into and out of the Waldorf Astoria, a hotel I'd always wanted to see the inside of. The lobby was grand and beautiful with marble floors and detailing on the ceiling. We were only filmed walking in with suitcases, which was a bit disappointing as I longed to see more.

'Are you okay if we stop for lunch?' Taylor said, rejoining our group after having a discussion with the director.

'Sure.' I smiled as the other girls nodded. Taylor took us to a sushi bar two blocks away and from the outside it didn't look much. Inside, however, was cool and laidback with mood lighting and long tables. We were seated at the back and it was hard to avoid the stares our way as we sat down.

'So when are you leaving the city?' Gigi asked me after we'd placed our orders. I sipped at my lemonade through my straw.

'I leave Friday.'

'For LA right?' Taylor grinned. 'You are going to love it!'

'I hope it meets my expectations.' I smiled.

'What does Eric have planned for you?'

'No idea.' I sighed. 'Which worries me slightly. He said I'd get my schedule on Friday so that's a few days of worrying left to go.'

'Has Nathan seen your pictures from last night yet?' Karlie asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

'I have no idea.' I replied. I hadn't heard from him yet. I just hoped he wasn't freaking out.

'What are you doing Thursday night?' Taylor asked, interrupting my thoughts.

'Nothing?'

'Wrong.' She grinned. 'We're going to make your last night in New York go out in style!'

By Tuesday night, the video was finished and we'd been filmed being typical girls in the city; having fun, seeing the sights and dancing in a nightclub (in the middle of the day!) I'd got back to the hotel room around 9pm and, unsurprisingly, I'd fallen asleep straight away. My interview and photoshoot on Wednesday was in the morning, so I headed to the shops accompanied by Matt when I finished, picking up souvenirs for myself, my family and my friends. Then I headed back to the hotel to Skype Nathan.

He answered topless, towel-drying his hair, and I was suddenly glad I'd decided to Skype him from the privacy of my hotel room. 'Hey princess.' He smiled, giving his hair a final rub before throwing the towel across the room, in the direction of his washing basket. 'How are you?'

'I'm good, you?' I replied, unable to stop myself from smiling back. I pulled my hoodie tighter around my shoulders, wishing I hadn't decided to use the aircon. I reached for the remote, switching it off as I tucked my toes under my duvet.

'I'm good, though missing you a little.' He gave me a cute smile as he ran his hand through his wet hair. He reached for a t-shirt, pulling it over himself and ruining my opportunity to perve on his muscles. 'By the way, I've seen the photos from the Victoria's Secret Show and I definitely wished I was there. You can pull off cute, beautiful _and_ dead sexy.'

I blushed. 'I was nothing compared to those models.'

'Oh trust me, you were. The press are buzzing about it so it's not just me who thinks so.' He gave me a lopsided smile as I felt my cheeks reddening. 'Why are you blushing?' He laughed. 'It's true.'

'Whatever.' I bit my lip and pushed a loose strand of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. 'I still think you need glasses.'

The next day was another free day, so I spent my time packing up my suitcases, leaving only a little black dress and heels out for my night with Taylor, as well as my ripped jeans and a baggy top for the flight to LA the next day. Then I headed out onto the hotel terrace, which was thankfully empty, to record my cover of the week.

I adjusted my camera, so that it faced me on the woven sofa, the Empire State Building in the background. Then I started to play my apt song choice.

 _'I've just had the craziest week,_

 _Like a party bag of lies, booze and then deceit._

 _And I don't know why I want to voice this out loud,_

 _It's therapeutic somehow._

 _So I'm moving to New York cos I've got problems with my sleep,_

 _And we're not the same and I will wear that on my sleeve._

 _So I'm moving to New York cos I've got issues with my sleep,_

 _Looks like Christmas came early, Christmas came early for me._

 _I put one foot forward and ended up thirty yards back._

 _And am I losing touch or am I just completely off the track?_

 _And I don't know why I want to voice this out loud,_

 _It's therapeutic somehow._

 _So I'm moving to New York cos I've got problems with my sleep,_

 _And we're not the same and I will wear that on my sleeve._

 _So I'm moving to New York cos I've got issues with my sleep,_

 _Looks like Christmas came early, Christmas came early for me._

 _So I'm moving to New York cos I've got problems with my sleep,_

 _And we're not the same and I will wear that on my sleeve._

 _So I'm moving to New York cos I've got issues with my sleep,_

 _Looks like Christmas came early, Christmas came early for me.'_

That night, Taylor's car picked me up and we headed to a super hip bar on a New York rooftop, with a fabulous view of the city. In our little black dresses, we looked classy. Karlie bought the first round of trips and we laughed and chatted as we looked at the New York skyline. Everything was going great, until it was my time to buy a round of drinks. I headed over the bar, placing the order and then I froze as a familiar redhead waved at me from across the bar.


	21. Made in the USA

I froze. I couldn't run and hide. The bartender was still making the drinks. I glanced over my shoulder for my friends and realised that they were too busy dancing to a song I'd never heard before. They hadn't noticed. I glanced back and realised he was gone. Had I been hallucinating or something? It was my third drink...

'Hey, Lucy.' His voice made me tense and I watched as he moved from behind me to join me at the bar.

The barman placed one drink down in front of me, moving onto the next one and I willed him to work faster. I wasn't cared about how shaken the cocktails were. I wanted to make a break for it. I'd done so well at the Victoria's Secret show, managing not to have a conversation with him backstage or at the party afterwards. And now, out of all of the bars in New York city, he'd decided to come to a hip bar in Brooklyn, not far from Brooklyn Bridge. Seriously?

'How are you?' He asked with a friendly smile. I glanced over his shoulder. Usually he had a girl with him these days. Why didn't he tonight?

'I'm good. You?' I replied, casually. I was hoping it wasn't going to be another repeat of the conversation we'd had in London on the last night of Nathan's tour. I thought of Nathan's twinkling eyes and his adorable smile and it relaxed me. A little.

'Yeah I'm not bad.' He replied with a shrug as the bartender returned with another one of the cocktails. 'Enjoying New York?'

'Yep, it's just as magic as I remember.'

'No Nathan?' He asked with a raised eyebrow.

'No, he's been planning his new album.' A strand fell loose from my bun and I tucked it behind my ear.

'Didn't have the time to come out and support you, huh?'

I looked over at him with narrowed eyes. 'No, we're both busy. You know how it is.'

'I would have made time for you.'

'Yeah and any model ex-girlfriend that came your way.' I responded, bluntly. His eyes widened and then he looked hurt, which just irritated me. He was the one that had cheated, not me. He had no right to look hurt.

'It was a mistake and it wasn't supposed to happen. It hasn't changed how I feel about you. None of it has.' His eyes looked sad and I broke eye contact with him as the bartender returned with the third cocktail. One to go.

 _'Tried to keep you close to me, but life got in between.'_ Nathan's voice filled the bar and Ed frowned in response.

'How many times can I apologise? What can I do? Because I'd do anything to make this right.' Ed continued, reaching for my hand but I pulled it away.

'You can't make this right, Ed. You _broke_ me. You _hurt_ me. And now I've moved on and I'm _happy.'_ The bartender returned with the final drink and I passed him the money.

'But I'm your soulfinder.'

'Not anymore you're not.' I replied and he reached for me again.

'What's taking so long?!' Taylor said, appearing behind me with the other girls. 'Oh. Ed.'

'Taylor.' He said, giving her a smile I knew as false. 'How are you?'

'I'm great thanks.' She said, warily. I passed the girls each their drinks and Taylor squeezed my side. 'Come on, Lu, let's hit the dance floor.'

Ed left the bar soon after that and I hoped that soon he would realise that he needed to give up. He'd broken my heart into tiny pieces, he'd broken his promise not to hurt me. And he'd lost his chance at a happily ever after with me. It was over and the sooner he realised that, the better.

The flight to LAX airport was fairly early the next day, so I spent the flight catching up on sleep and sleeping off my headache from the night before. Luckily, by the time I arrived in Los Angeles, I was feeling more alive than I had been before. Eric had flown out the previous day, so it was just Matt and I piling into the car that had been sent for us at the airport. Like an excited child, I watched the buildings and palm trees pass by the windows as we drove along the streets of Los Angeles, city of the Angels.

'Where are we going?' I asked Matt as we headed through a gated residential area. Surely there weren't hotels up there, were there?

'Didn't Eric tell you? He rented a house as it was more cost effective.' Matt replied from the front seat. 'I'm in the guest quarters in the garage so I won't be in the way.'

'And where's Eric staying?' I said, holding my breath.

'A hotel in town.'

I exhaled, relieved I wouldn't be stuck in some stupid house with Eric. 'Thank god.' Matt chuckled in response as we pulled into a small driveway. The gate opened and the driver drove through it, parking the car in front of the building. I climbed out of the car, feeling the humidity straight away. It was already pretty warm, one of California's warmest Aprils in about ten years.

The red wooden house was in Silver Lake Hills, nestled into the hillside. The driver passed me a key, before moving to the trunk to take out my bags. Matt nodded at the door and I walked over to open the main building, which looked nothing like I expected a Los Angeles house to look like. It was cute and not modern at all. The only modern-looking bit was the small detatched garage, which had been converted into a small studio apartment. I turned the keys in the door, unlocking the building, and then I stepped inside. I found myself in a living room with polished wooden floors and a large grey rug. There was a stone fireplace, not that I needed one, and ceiling fans. The furniture consisted of two teal-coloured sofa beds and a flat-screen television attached to the wall. That was when I noticed the large, glass windows with a view. I watched over to them, pulling apart the glass french doors in the middle. There was a beautiful view of the lake from the decking, where there was an outside dining table and barbecue. I walked across the terrace and spotted a small swimming pool at one end, with sunbeds next to it. Then I spotted the Hollywood sign and I smiled. House with a view for sure. Heading back inside, I came across the kitchen-diner. The white counters were covered with black, shiny granite, the only modern part of the house, and there was a small, round, wooden table with four chairs.

Walking back into the reception area, I realised there were white railings over-looking the living room, and then I spotted the ladder-style steps. I climbed it carefully, finding myself in the loft bedroom. There was a large, comfy-looking bed decorated with white covers and teal cushions. There were mirrors lining one of the walls, hiding the walk-in closet. On the other side was a small door leading to an ensuite bathroom. It felt more homely than a hotel and that thought made me smile. It was going to be a nicer place to stay. It was just a shame that my band weren't going to be joining me in California.

After unpacking, I settled down in the living room with a sandwich I'd made using the filled fridge and cupboard. I pulled up my schedule on my laptop, the one Eric had sent over that morning.

 _Friday 25th April- Flight to LAX Airport, Los Angeles_

 _Saturday 26th April- interview on Jimmy Kimmel_

 _Tuesday 29th April- Photoshoot and interview with Vogue_

 _Wednesday 30th April- UNICEF Charity Ball_

 _Saturday 3rd May- Performance at Disneyland_

 _Monday 5th May- 'Made in the USA' video shoot_

 _Tuesday 5th May- 'Made in the USA' video shoot_

The schedule ended with a 'TBC' comment and my eyes widened as I ran back over the events. For one, I had some free time, and for two... Disney? I was performing at Disney? There was an email from Eric, so I opened it, scanning it.

 _Lucy,_

 _We will have lunch at my hotel tomorrow to discuss the plans for the performance at Disneyland at the end of the week, as we will need to decide the Disney songs you are performing so you can rehearse. I also have some outfits on hold for you to try on for the UNICEF ball, so we will sort that out too._

 _Eric_

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was still early. Would Nathan be up? I turned on Skype, surprised that he wasn't online on there or Facebook. I sent him a quick picture of the view from my terrace on Whatsapp and then I changed into my bikini, making the most of some relaxing time in the sunshine. Maybe LA wasn't going to be too bad.

An afternoon of sunning myself and swimming in the pool was relaxing and I noticed that night that I had a slight glow to my skin, my freckles starting to make a small reapparance. I ate my dinner on the terrace, watching the sun setting in the sky. I let out a sigh; the view was beautiful. It was just a shame I had no one to share it with. I checked my phone again, surprised that I still hadn't heard anything from Nathan. He was completely awol. Feeling alone in a beautiful city, I had an early night.

The meeting over lunch with Eric didn't last long the next day. He simply gave me a list of the Disney songs I would be covering and that was it;

 _Kiss the girl- The Little Mermaid_

 _Let it go- Frozen_

 _Tale as old as time- Beauty and the Beast_

 _I see the light- Tangled_

I knew three of them, so it wasn't going to be too challenging, but either way, I spent the rest of the afternoon on the terrace, learning the songs over the backing tracks I had been given by whichever band would be performing with me at Disneyland. I was halfway through learning 'Tale as old as time', when the doorbell rang. Was Matt after some company? I didn't blame him if he was. I'd told him he was welcome to hang out in the main house with me and I'd told him he could use the terrace, but he'd said he was quite happy on his small patio area. I pulled my t-shirt back over my head, so that my exposed bikini top was covered and I walked inside to the front door. I opened it cautiously, my eyes widening in surprise.

'Hey princess.' Nathan said with his familiar smile that made every girl's knees weak.

I wrapped my arms tightly around him. 'What are you doing here?!'

'Surprising you.' He said, his arms wrapping around my waist. 'Have you lost weight?'

'I think so.' I replied, giving him back his personal space. The gym sessions and running seemed to have paid off.

'You didn't need to lose weight.' He frowned. 'You have a lovely figure.'

'Not according to my manager.' I glanced over his shoulder at the swanky, black Chrysler Sebring Convertible in the driveway. 'Is that yours?'

'Yeah, it's my rental car.' He grinned. 'Need one to get around LA.'

I spotted the suitcase and bags in the back. 'Where are you staying?'

'Probably my favourite hotel downtown but I'll sort that later.'

'Nonsense, you can stay here.' I smiled. 'It's pretty lonely up here anyway.'

'Are you sure?' He asked, his mouth turning upwards in the corners.

'Of course. Now come on in, I'll give you a tour.'

Nathan loved the view as much as I did and he made himself comfortable, hanging his clothes in the closet beside mine and raiding the pre-packed fridge. I felt bad leaving him behind to go to Jimmy Kimmel, when he'd only been there a few hours, but I went and did the interview and headed straight back afterwards.

'Hey.' I said, walking back through the door. I tossed him the spare pair of keys I'd managed to have Eric pick up from the letting agent. 'Here, these are yours.'

'Thanks.' He smiled, stretching out on the sofa. I sat down beside him and he pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist. 'Great interview by the way.'

I blushed and bit my lip. 'You watched it?'

'Of course I did.' He smiled, kissing my cheek. I turned to face him and he kissed my lips gently, smiling against them. 'Mmm I missed you.'

'I missed you too.' I said, returning the smile. He reached out, tucking my hair behind my ear in an affectionate gesture. 'So you've not told me your plans for this week.'

'Well,' he said, his hand returning to my waist, 'I've got a princess to take to a ball on Wednesday, haven't I?' His eyes twinkled as they looked at mine.

'How did you know?'

'I got an invite too.' He grinned. 'I just wanted to surprise you. What's your schedule like? I might get some recording done for the album whilst you're busy.'

'I'm working Tuesday, but then it's the ball and then at Saturday I'm performing at Disneyland.' A lightbulb went on in my head. 'Oh my goodness, you _have_ to come! I'm performing at 10.30am in the morning to start their Star Wars weekend but I've got a pass for the whole weekend and I'm staying up there too in their Grand Californian Hotel.'

'I'll be there.' He kissed my cheek. 'Seeing as how Disney is our thing. What have you got to perform?'

I reeled off the songs, pausing for the last one. 'I have to sing 'I see the light.' Hey... you should totally sing it with me. It's supposed to be a duet anyway.'

'Think they'll mind?'

I thought of the fans that were loving Lathan, even if they weren't sure if we were actually an item or not. 'I don't think they'll mind at all.'

When I woke up the following day, Nathan was in the kitchen, making sandwiches and packing them into a picnic basket. I raised an eyebrow as I stood, silently watching him for a moment. The room was boiling and I'd woken up because I was so hot. I turned on the fan, glad to let some cool air in.

'Hey.' My boyfriend smiled, looking at me stood in the doorway. 'It's really hot today.'

'Are California having a heatwave or something?'

'First heatwave in twelve years apparently.' He replied, wrapping tin foil around the sandwiches and putting them into the picnic basket. 'I thought it would be perfect weather for a day at the beach.'

'I have this awful feeling that the rest of Los Angeles might agree with you. I'd love to see Venice Beach, but it's going to be crazy busy and I can't wear sunglasses the whole time because I'll look like a panda.'

'You'd be a cute panda.' He walked over and pressed his lips to my forehead. 'But don't worry, we aren't going to Venice.'

'Then where are we going?'

The drive took an hour and I was thankful for being in a convertible as the breeze was refreshing. Nathan's concentration face was cute as he sped down the highway and I couldn't help but glance at his arm muscles, obvious in the blue v-neck t-shirt he was wearing with his chino-style navy shorts. I'd opted for a navy strappy lace dress, thrown on over the top of my light pink ruffle Seafolly bikini set. Soon, we entered an area called the Crystal Cove State Park and Nathan turned down a dirt-track into an almost-empty car park. There was a tiny cafe, where two people were buying an ice-cream, and he pulled up outside it, parking the car.

'It's boiling hot and this place is empty. What gives?' I asked, surprised. I looked around and realised we were stood on top of a cliff. Looking into the distance on the left, I could see the highway bending towards the sparkling blue ocean.

'I came across this once by accident.' Nathan grinned. 'It's a secret beach.'

'I raised an eyebrow. 'By accident?'

'I had songwriter's block and I wanted to be inspired so I drove down towards Laguna and then I spotted the cafe at the end of the track and there you have it. I found Treasure Cove.' He grabbed the picnic basket, his rucsac and a bodyboard, throwing the bag over his shoulder and tucking the bodyboard under his arm. I reached for my beach bag too and he locked the car, before leading the way down the beaten footpath. We walked down some steps built into the cliff face and I froze. Down below us was a golden sandy beach, where blue waves gently lapped against the sand. There were three families scattered around the beach, but other than that it was empty. The cove was closed off by large rocks either side of it, making it the perfect place to relax. Nathan walked us across the sand to the other side of the cove, away from the families, and he laid out the beach towels on the sand.

'So what do you think?' He asked me, pulling his t-shirt off and revealing his toned chest. I wanted to make a comment of what I thought of his _chest_ but I decided it would be completely inappropriate.

'It's perfect.' I replied, referring to the beach, but also to his chest. Maybe. I nervously pulled my dress over my head, revealing the bikini I had treated myself to in New York. I caught Nathan watching me and I blushed, lying myself down on the towel so that I could enjoy the view of the ocean.

We spent the day sunbathing, chatting, trying to build sandsculptures and swimming in the sea, with Nathan even trying to teach me to bodyboard. It was perfect.

'Thanks for a great day.' I said to Nathan as we walked up to the car as the sun disappeared on the horizon. I pulled my jumper around myself, surprised that the air could be so cool after such a hot day. A breeze came and I laughed as my hair covered my face, giving off my best Cousin IT impression. Nathan smiled, pulling me close and pushing the hair out of my face. He closed the gap between our lips, pressing his gently against mine, sending electricity flowing through my body. It was a perfect kiss and it made my knees weak. Then he pulled back from the kiss, resting his forehead against mine.

'You're welcome.'

Monday was spent checking out the sights in Hollywood, from the Hollywood sign to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Nathan had even joked that one day we might even make it there. Tuesday I had my photoshoot and interview with Vogue, which went well, and then it was Wednesday, the day of the UNICEF ball. I'd spent the morning rehearsing for Disneyland at a recording studio space downtown, with the band who had been playing at Disney for years, apparently, often playing in the parades. Then, that afternoon, I was sent off to a beauty salon to get ready for the ball.

'So is this your first time in LA?' The beautician, Sally, asked as she threaded my eyebrows. I felt glad that the waxing of my legs was over and moisturiser had been rubbed onto them, cooling them down.

'Yeah it is.' I replied, trying not to wince as I knew that would lead to half of my eyebrow coming off.

'And do you like it?'

'It's lovely.' I smiled. 'The weather has been great too.'

'It's usually not this nice for April.' Sally laughed. 'But hey, means you don't need a fake tan for today, right?' She was right. My skin was sunkissed and glowing, my freckles standing out on my face thanks to the time I'd been spending in the sun. 'Right, your eyebrows are all done. I'll do your nails next and then we'll sort out your make-up.' She glanced over at the clock. 'Your car is coming at six, right?'

'Yep.' I smiled.

'Phew. We've got plenty of time.' Sally gave me a manicure with a pale pink base and glitter against the cuticles. Then she moved onto my make-up, giving my eyes a silvery make-over with different shades of silver, winged eyeliner and thickening mascara. My lips were kept natural with a colour only one shade brighter than my natural colour and the foundation and blusher made my cheek bones more prominent. My hair too, was left natural, falling in loose curls, my fringe framing my face perfectly. 'Right, we have fifteen minutes. If you get changed then I can check I haven't missed anything.' Sally told me.

I grabbed my dress bag, slipping into the spacious ladies bathroom. I unzipped the dress bag and smiled. I'd tried on a load of dresses but Eric had had the final say. And, thankfully, he had chosen my favourite. The dress was by a designer called Jovani and it was a very light blue dress, one which reminded me of Cinderella. The dress was strapless with a beaded bodice which covered my bust and then showed my middriff and back underneath the beading because of the sheer detailing. At the waist, the dress fell outwards in a long, flowy skirt. It was a dress fit for a princess and I felt like one in it. I zipped the side up carefully and slipped my feet into the silver heels with the bow detail on the front. Then I grabbed the silver clutchbag, placing my phone, keys and purse into it. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror and smiled, pleased with my appearance. I felt like a million dollars. I placed my original clothes in the dress bag, ready for them to be sent back to the house and I stepped out of the bathroom.

Sally and her two colleagues stood together, applauding and squealing with excitement. 'You look fabulous!' Sally cooed.

'Just like Cinderella!' Rhea added.

Sally walked over to me, quickly spraying some more product in my hair and checking my make-up. 'Yep, perfect. Definitely my favourite client yet.' She snapped a few photos for the website and Facebook, promising not to release them until later that night.

The bell on the door chimed as it opened and I looked up to see Nathan stood in a navy, well-fitted suit, a white shirt and a tie the same colour as my dress. His jaw dropped and then he smiled at me, his eyes twinkling. 'Wow Lucy, you look _so_ beautiful.'

The salon girls sighed as they looked at him and I blushed, fiddling with my clutch bag. 'Thank you.'

'Shall we go?' He said, leaning against the doorway as he often did. I glanced over at the beauticians and realised they looked like they were going to faint from swooning.

'Thanks so much girls.' I said with a smile to them and they nodded, still looking at Nathan. I reached him, tapping him on the shoulder. 'Come on, let's go.'

My insides buzzed with excitement as the driver drove us towards Beverly Hills. Nathan reached out for my hand, interlocking my fingers with his. 'You really are a princess tonight.' He whispered, his eyes meeting mine. _'My_ princess.'

I smiled, colour rising to my cheeks. 'And you make a pretty good prince charming.' He squeezed my hand. 'The press are going to have a field day when they see us turning up together.'

'I think you're right about that.' He grinned. He lifted my hand to his lips, kissing it softly as the car slowed down.

'We're here.' The driver announced, coming to a stop. 'There's just two cars in front.'

'Are you ready princess?' Nathan asked, rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb. I nodded, mutely, a smile playing on my lips and the familar nerves of the red carpet sinking in. The car moved forward and the driver got out, moving round to open Nathan's door. Cameras flashed and crowds cheered as Nathan carefully got out. He turned back towards the car, holding his hand out for me and I got out of the car slowly, holding my beautiful dress, only releasing it when I was stood on the red carpet.

Nathan moved his hand to the small of my back, guiding me up the red carpet. We reached the press and we posed for a few pictures together, casually.

'Nathan, are you planning a tour of America now that you've finished in Europe?' A reporter asked as we posed for a few pictures, individually.

'I'd like to but at the moment I'm getting my new album ready. Maybe when the new album comes out.' My boyfriend replied with his signature smile.

'And will Lucy be joining you as your support act again?'

'Well that would be great but I think Lucy is ready to headline, don't you?' He grinned at me and I blushed.

'So are you two actually an item?' The question caught me by surprise and I wasn't sure what to say or how to act. We should have discussed this. It was bound to come up in conversation, especially with the prying press.

Nathan's eyes met mine and he smiled again. 'As a matter of fact, yes. Yes we are.' His hand reached out for mine and he pulled me towards him. 'Aren't I lucky, huh?'

The camera flashes went off and more questions were thrown our way, this time about our relationship.

'How long have you been together?'

'How did you meet?'

'Why have you kept it a secret for this long?'

Nathan chuckled, resting his forehead against mine, his smile meeting his beautiful eyes.

We didn't stay on the red carpet too long, much to the disappointment of the press. Instead, we headed inside, where I stood gawping at the spectacular ballroom in front of me. It reminded me of the ballroom from Beauty and the Beast, only with round tables scattered around, buffet tables and a stage, where the acts would be performing that evening. Nathan grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing waitor, handing one to me.

'I hope you didn't mind that little announcement.' He said to me as we walked through the mingling crowds, towards the table we were going to be seated at for the evening.

'Of course not.' I replied with a small smile. 'I thought you didn't want the press to know.'

'Maybe I changed my mind and want to show you off to the world.' He smiled, kissing my forehead.

The ball started with a buffet dinner, where everyone ate happily, whilst chatting to the other people on their table. We found ourselves with Selena, which was good as she was a familiar face, Nick Jonas and their dates for the evening, who I didn't know. Then the live music started and I almost squealed when Michael Buble walked onto the stage. I'd seen him once, at the o2 arena with my mum, but we'd had a rubbish view because we'd got the last two seats, which were right up in the heavens.

He opened the evening with 'Save the last dance for me' and people moved to the floor straight away, dancing Salsa-like routines, whilst others headed to the bar. I sipped at my champagne, tapping my fingers in time to the rhythm on the table. I knew salsa wasn't for me. I'd been to a class once before with Willow, just for a giggle, and I'd been an absolute disaster. Selena and her date slipped away, leaving me alone with my date.

I glanced over at him and realised he was watching me. 'Don't tell me I've got cheesecake round my face or something?' I asked, my eyes wide.

'No.' He laughed, kissing my forehead. 'I just like looking at you.'

I raised an eyebrow. 'Why?'

'Because you're beautiful and I'm very lucky to have you.'

'I still think you need to go to Specsavers.'

'I still think you do.' He laughed, his fingers interlocking with mine. 'I'm surprised you're not stood at the front of the stage! Don't you love a bit of Mr Buble?'

'I don't think standing at the front of the stage, cheering is socially acceptable at these kind of things.' I replied with a playful smile. 'Needless to say that my mum would do that anyway.'

 _'Oh baby won't you save the last dance for me_

 _Oh baby won't you promise that you'll save,_

 _The last dance for me_

 _Save the last dance, the very last dance for me.'_

The song finished and we applauded as Michael Buble took a sip from his bottle of water. A familiar piano intro started up and Nathan held out his hand. 'May I have this dance, princess?' I laughed, accepting his invitation as he led me to the floor.

 _'I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles_

 _And the heavens open every time she smiles.'_

He took one of my hands in his, placing his other hand on the small of my back as I placed my other hand on his shoulder.

 _'And when I come to her, that's where I belong_

 _I'm running to her like a river's song_

 _She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love_

 _She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love.'_

We swayed in time to the music, Nathan's eyes locked on mine.

 _'She's got a fine sense of humor when I'm feeling low down_

 _And when I come to her when the sun goes down_

 _Takes away my trouble, takes away my grief_

 _Takes away my heartache in the night like a thief._

 _Give me love, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme crazy love_

 _Give me love, love, love, yes sir, crazy love.'_

He gently twirled me around in the instrumental, dancing with me hands on my waist, my back against his chest.

 _'Yes, I need her in the daytime_

 _Yes, I need her in the night_

 _But I want to throw my arms around her_

 _Kiss her an' hug her, kiss her an' hug her tight_

 _Kiss her an' hug her tight, through the night.'_

He turned me back to face him and planted a kiss on my forehead. I looked up at him, and his eyes met mine, twinkling as he smiled.

 _'And when I'm returning from so far away_

 _She gives me some sweet lovin' brighten up my day_

 _It'll make me feel righteous, make me feel whole_

 _Make me feel mellow down into my soul.'_

We danced quicker this time to the music as the beat kicked back in.

 _'Give me love, gimme love, yes sir, crazy love_

 _Give me love, gimme, gimme, gimme, crazy love.'_

Nathan lifted me as we spun and I laughed as he did it. Were we in Strictly Come Dancing now or something?

 _'I said she gives me love, love, love, aww, crazy love_

 _She gives me, yeah, crazy love_

 _I said give me love, love, love, love, crazy love_

 _She gives me love, love, yes sir, a crazy love, one more time_

 _She gives me love, love, love, love, she gives me crazy love_

 _She gives me love, love, love, yes sir crazy love.'_

The song ended and Nathan's lips crashed against mine, in a kiss filled with emotion. He pulled back, pressing his forehead against mine as the guests applauded Mr Buble.

'I've always wondered if you take dance lessons.' I said, playfully as the intro of the next song started up.

'You have to learn to dance in theatre school.' He explained. 'Even if you just want to do the music, you still have to learn to dance. It comes in handy though, huh?' He grinned.

'Oh absolutely.' I laughed as he started to move us in time to the music, once again.

The atmosphere changed later on, when Swedish House Mafia changed the music over to a DJ slot, playing funky music that had everyone dancing and grinding and anything else you expected in a club, which looked a little weird when everyone was dressed in Black Tie fashion.

The ball ended around 1am and we headed back to the house merry from champagne. I kicked off my shoes straight away, my feet feeling sore, and Nathan disappeared into the kitchen to make us each a cup of tea, something I still had without fail when going to bed. I sat on one of the sunbeds, looking up at the Hollywood sign, still glowing in the light. The stars shone overhead, and I could see Orion's belt clearly, as I was far enough away from the city lights.

Nathan walked out onto the decking, also having ditched his shoes and jacket. He placed the cups of tea on the glass side table and looked at the pool. 'Nice place you've got here.'

I laughed. 'Sure is. Maybe when I've got enough cash I'll buy myself an apartment with a pool somewhere hot. Then I can go on holiday whenever I want.'

'Yeah, it's a pretty sweet feeling.'

I looked over at him with curiosity. 'You have a holiday home? Where?'

'I've got a place near Barcelona.' He replied, casually. 'It's a great city, I'd love to take you there sometime _._ '

I smiled at that. 'Let me guess, a villa by the sea with a swimming pool and some epic pool parties?'

'The odd one sure.' He grinned. 'Though there's something I've always wanted to do, but I never have.'

'Oh?' He scooped me up into his arms and walked towards the pool. 'Oh, no, no, no!' I squealed as he held me over it. Then he did what I thought he was going to do; he threw me into the cool water, in my beautiful formal dress. He jumped in beside me as I smoothed my wet fringe out of my eyes.

'I've always wanted to wear something fancy and jump into a pool.' He grinned from beside me, completely drenched in the neck-deep water.

'You are completely insane!' I told him, splashing him and he splashed me back. 'Ugh, I bet my make-up is currently running down my cheeks. Not attractive.'

He walked over to me, cupping my face with his hands. 'Even soaking wet, you're beautiful.' He whispered before pressing his lips gently against mine. The kiss deepened and I wrapped my arms around his neck as his lips moved against mine. He grabbed my thighs, lifting me so that my legs were wrapped around his waist as I kissed him, soaking wet in a beautiful ballgown. It was the kind of moment Nicholas Sparks would write about and, despite the cold, it was perfect.

The next day, magazines and the worldwide web were buzzing with excitement that 'Lathan' was official and it had even been made Facebook official too. My mum had sent me a text telling me she was happy for me but to be careful. Everyone else seemed to be loving 'Lathan' and there were pictures of us outside the ball and then dancing together inside which just made my heart melt. We were a cute couple, there was no escaping it.

On Friday evening, we packed our weekend bags and cases into Nathan's rental car and headed off to Anaheim, to Disneyland. The journey took just under an hour, which was pretty good going considering we were travelling through rush hour and the heatwave had stopped, so it wasn't too hot in the car. Nathan parked his car in the car park when we arrived at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, and we took our bags to reception to check-in.

'Hello Miss May and Mr Jones. What a pleasure!' The receptionist smiled, a huge Disney smile. He typed in our details into the computer system and grabbed our keys. 'Now your room is on the sixth floor and you are staying in one of our Premium View rooms with a wonderful view.' He grabbed an envelope marked with my name on it. 'This has a park map, your VIP wristbands and your meal plan card in it to allow you all inclusive access to food in the hotel and in the park and you've been requested for soundcheck in the park at 8am tomorrow before the park opens to guests.'

'Okay, great.' I smiled, tucking the envelope in my bag.

'If there's anything you need at all, just ring the lobby and we can sort anything for you.'

'Great, thank you.' Nathan nodded.

'Not a problem. I hope you enjoy your stay.'

We took the elevator to the sixth floor, turning down the offer of a bell-hop service. Our room was tucked away, right down the end of the corridor. Room 609. I opened it with the keycard and we stepped inside, closing the door behind us. The room was pretty spacious with a king-sized bed, brown sofa, table and chairs, flatscreen television, dressing table and a balcony, which overlooked the pool and the Hollywood tower. After unpacking, we grabbed dinner downstairs and then turned in for an early night, watching Tangled on the flatscreen as we fell asleep.

My alarm sounded at 6.30am the following morning and I groaned as I got out of bed, making my way to the bathroom. I showered and plaited my hair to the side. Then I threw on my sweatpants and a tank top, as Nathan had done, and we headed down to breakfast. By 7.30am, we had eaten and we had changed into our outfits for the day. I stepped out of the bathroom and laughed when I saw Nathan in khaki chinos, a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, boots and a dark green waistcoat, with a satchel over his shoulder.

'You look just like Flynn Rider!' I laughed and he grinned.

'Wasn't that the idea, Rapunzel?' He gave me his best 'smoulder' impression, which was surprisingly good. I was wearing a lilac shirt dress with ruffle front and a bow around the waist, with lace cream brogues on my feet and flowers tucked into my braided hair. We'd decided we'd join the Disneybounding craze, dressing up as Disney characters. 'You look beautiful by the way.' Nathan added with a crooked smile. I blushed and he walked over to me, kissing me softly on the lips. 'Come on, we'd better go. The car is probably downstairs waiting for us.'

We got to Disneyland just before eight and it was weird just how empty the park was. There were people walking in, ready to start their day of work, but that was it. The rest of the park was just scarily empty. Nathan held my hand as we followed the 'cast member' up Main Street to the stage, which was just in front of Cinderella's castle. 'May the Fourth Be With You' was written on a banner across the back of the stage, making it clear that they were celebrating the Star Wars weekend.

'What the heck are you wearing?' Eric frowned as we reached the stage.

'Sweet disneybounding.' A castmember commented as he passed us.

'Disneybounding? What the hell is disneybounding?'

'An outfit inspired by a certain disney character, without breaking the Disneyland rules by actually dressing up in a costume.' Nathan explained with a sarcastic grin, which Eric didn't seem to notice.

'I thought you were going to wear one of those new tight-fitting dresses I sent over.' Eric said, glaring at me.

'I'm at Disneyland! Not a burlesque show!' I said, returning the frown. 'In case you forgot Eric, there are going to be kids here.'

'You're going to ruin your image.'

'Oh please, it's Disneyland. If anything, I'll be widening my fanbase to cute, small children and their parents.' I sighed. Eric, looking frustrated, walked off and Nathan squeezed my hand.

'Ignore him. Don't let him ruin your day. I think you look beautiful.' He shot me his best Flynn Rider smoulder and I giggled.

'Right Lucy, we're ready for your soundcheck.' A stage manager called out, giving me a thumbs up. I nodded and followed him up onto the stage.

After soundcheck, Nathan and I had half an hour until the gates opened for guests, so we wandered around, posing for pictures whilst a castmember snapped away on my phone and a professional camera. We posed in character at first and then we moved onto some cute, fun, couple photos, Nathan twirling me in front of Cinderella's castle, him giving me a piggyback, and even just a cute one of his arms around my waist as he kissed my forehead. Then we headed backstage with a bottle of water, hiding from the guests as the gates opened.

'Showtime in five.' The stage manager told me after the microphone had been tested one last time. 'The Circle of Life' was playing in the background and you could hear the loud voices of guests gathering in front of the stage.

'Very good turnout.' The guitarist told me with a nod, after coming off of the stage. 'It's completely packed.'

I had butterflies in my chest and Nathan looked over at me, squeezing my hand. 'We've done arena shows with 20,000 people in it. You're going to be great.'

'I think I'd be less worried if they were my songs.' I replied, my eyes meeting his. 'These are very famous songs and they're pretty hard to cover. I hope everyone likes them.'

'They will.' He smiled.

A sound tech guy came over with my ear piece and mic pack. 'Sorry to interrupt but we've got two minutes to go.' He set me up and I took a deep breath, having a sip of water. My band for the day walked onstage, along with the castmember who was introducing me.

'Hello Disneyland California!' The castmember called out, her voice a southern twang. 'Welcome to our Star Wars weekend of celebrations.' The crowd, young and old, cheered. 'We have some great events planned this weekend including live performances, our Star Wars parade and of course our spectacular firework celebration. Now to kick off the weekend, we have a very special guest here ready to perform some Disney classics for you. Girls and boys, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage Lucy May!'

The crowd cheered and Nathan gave me a thumbs up as I walked onto the stage, taking my place in the middle where my mic stand stood. The castmember gave me a thumbs up and walked off the stage.

'Hey California, you're looking magical today!' I said, hiding my nervousness behind a smile. I was getting good at doing that. I looked out at the crowd, stretching back into Main Street. There were kids on their parent's shoulders, some dressed as Disney princesses and other characters. 'I hope you don't mind but I thought I'd try out a bit of Disneybounding myself today.' I smiled, signalling to my dress and a few people cheered and called out 'Rapunzel.' 'If you know any of the words, please sing along.' I encouraged as the video camera in front of me zoomed in. I nodded to my band and they started the introduction to my first song.

 _'There you see her_

 _Sitting there across the way_

 _She don't got a lot to say_

 _But there's something about her_

 _And you don't know why_

 _But you're dying to try_

 _You wanna kiss the girl.'_

The performance moved by quickly and the crowd sang along and clapped in time to the music. In 'Tale as Old as Time', children watched in awe as Belle and the Beast joined me onstage, dancing behind me as I sang. Then, my rocked-up version of 'Let it Go' went pretty well too, with fireworks going off from the castle everytime I sang 'let it go'. And then it was time for my performance with Nathan, which they knew nothing about.

The song started as normal and I took my microphone, walking across the stage with it as I sang.

 _'All those days watching from the windows_

 _All those years outside looking in_

 _All that time never even knowing_

 _Just how blind I've been_

 _Now I'm here blinking in the starlight_

 _Now I'm here suddenly I see_

 _Standing here it's all so clear_

 _I'm where I'm meant to be_

 _And at last I see the light_

 _And it's like the fog has lifted_

 _And at last I see the light_

 _And it's like the sky is new_

 _And it's warm and real and bright_

 _And the world has somehow shifted_

 _All at once everything looks different_

 _Now that I see you.'_

' _All those days chasing down a daydream_.' Nathan walked onto the stage and the crowd screamed, making me smile. _'All those years living in a blur_

 _All that time never truly seeing_

 _Things, the way they were_

 _Now she's here shining in the starlight_

 _Now she's here suddenly I know_

 _If she's here it's crystal clear_

 _I'm where I'm meant to go.'_

We met in the middle of the stage, singing together. ' _And at last I see the light_.'

Nathan took my hand in his. ' _And it's like the fog has lifted_.'

We smiled at each other, our eyes locked on each other. ' _And at last I see the light_.'

' _And it's like the sky is new_.' His smile gave me butterflies as I sang.

' _And it's warm and real and bright_

 _And the world has somehow shifted_

 _All at once everything is different_

 _Now that I see you_

 _Now that I see you.'_

We finished the song and the crowd cheered wildly. I smiled. 'Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, give it up for Mr Nathan Jones.' They cheered and Nathan took a bow.

'And give it up for Miss Lucy May.' He grinned and I curtsied.

'Thank you so much for singing along and I hope you have a fantastic time at Disneyland.' I said into the microphone. The crowd cheered again and we made our way into the wings.

I laughed as Darth Vadar and the Storm Troopers passed us, dancing onto the stage to 'Can't touch this'. I pulled out my earpiece and untaped my mic pack, handing it back over to the sound tech guys.

'See you were great.' Nathan told me, pulling me towards him and pressing a kiss to my forehead.

'Right, I'm outta here.' Eric announced, not that anyone cared. I waved at him and he disappeared, leaving me with Nathan and Matt, who was watching cautiously from a distance.

'So... we're in Disneyland. Let's head on out.' Nathan smiled, squeezing my hand.

Matt kept close by us as we moved through the crowds, stopping to take a few pictures with kids that wanted us to do, and a few teenagers who wanted photos with my very good-looking boyfriend. We spent the day going on all of the rides, from Splash Mountain to the Mad Tea Party, only stopping for a quick lunch. We decided to beat the crowds with an early dinner so we headed to Blue Bayou, a restaurant in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

The room was dark with lanterns hanging across the ceiling. It was a pretty romantic setting, considering that it was in Disneyland. We were led to our seat and I was suddenly glad I'd packed a cardigan in my bag as it was pretty cool. I slipped my arms into my cardigan after ordering and then I took a sip of my beer.

'Are you having a good day?' Nathan asked, his face hopeful.

'It's been wonderful.' I replied with a smile.

'Good.' He reached into his satchel and pulled out a box. He pushed it into the middle of the table, a nervous expression on his face. 'I got you a present.'

'You have to stop buying me presents!' I laughed.

'It's nice having someone to treat.' He shrugged with a small smile.

I reached for the box and opened it carefully. Inside were two bracelets made of brown leather. One read 'To infinity' and had a Minnie Mouse symbol, the other read 'and beyond' and had a Mickey Mouse symbol. 'They're so sweet.' I smiled. I put out the Mickey Mouse one, carefully fastening it around Nathan's wrist. He did the same with me, but with the Minnie Mouse one. 'Aren't you a soppy romantic?' I teased with a playful grin and he smiled back.

'Do you like it?'

'Of course I do.' I smiled, interlocking my fingers with him to show I appreciated the gesture.

We watched the fireworks that night and then left the park, heading back to our hotel where we watched a late night viewing of Beauty and the Beast on the 5th floor patio, wrapped in blankets and drinking beer. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful day. The following day was spent at the California Adventure Park, riding the thrillseeker rides and meeting any characters we hadn't managed to pose for photos with the previous day. Then we headed back to our hotel, grabbing our belongings and we drove back to my house in Silver Lake.

It was irritating waking up at 8am the next day, but I reminded myself that I would be filming the video for 'Made in the USA.' I didn't know much about the video, but what I did know was that there were two fairly well-known American actors in it, acting as the couple, which saved me having to be all soppy and romantic with someone like Tyger again. It still made me shudder when I watched the Heart Attack music video. I slipped into my denim shorts and a baggy t-shirt, grabbed my bag, and headed out, making sure not to wake my sleeping boyfriend. I wasn't sure why they needed me the whole day. I spent the day just sat around, watching the male actor (who I recognised from 90210) and the actress being soppy and romantic towards each other, whilst I twiddled my thumbs and had a go at writing a few songs in my songbook. I wasn't needed, so it seemed, until the sun had gone down that evening, when we changed location for the third time.

When we got to the carnival we were filming at, I was ushered straight into hair and make-up, my curls being straightened and smokey-eyed make-up being applied to my face. Then I was sent to wardrobe, where I changed into brown cowboy boots, denim shorts which only just covered my bum and a white, lace crop top. Bracelets were piled up on my wrist and then I was sent out into the carnival, feeling a little cold and underdressed now that the sun had left the sky in darkness. The carnival around me was lit my stage-lights, which would be kept out of camera shot, and then the light bulbs stringed across the carnival, between the tents.

'Okay Lucy, our first shot is just going to be you walking into the carnival, alright?' The director called, making Eric look up from his phone.

'Okay.' I replied. Easy enough. Just a shame that I'd wasted a day sat around not doing anything when I could have been hanging out with my boyfriend.

'And action!'

I walked into the carnival, looking around, as I'd been instructed to do.

'Cut! Nice work!'

Nice work? I'd just stood there really. It had been easy.

'Okay, now we want you to sing the first verse as you're walking in exploring the carnival.' The director instructed. I nodded. 'Okay, action.'

 _'Our love runs deep like a Chevy_

 _If you fall I'll fall with you baby_

 _'Cause that's the way we like to do it_

 _That's the way we like_

 _You run around open doors like a gentleman_

 _And tell me, "Girl, every day you're my everything."_

 _'Cause that's the way you like to do it_

 _That's the way you like.'_

'Great and cut! This is going to be easy!'

The rest of the videoshoot when just like that, moving from myself to the actors, all of us being given simple instructions to follow. It was so simple that it almost felt boring. I just hope the director knew what he was doing. At least I'd gotten to play my guitar in it. That had been pretty sweet. It wasn't a wrap until 3am, and I was only still awake because of the crazy amount of coffee pumping through my veins.

'Nice work.' The director said to me, shaking my hand. 'We don't really need you at the shoot tomorrow for the last few bits. It's really just the actors so you can have the day off.'

'Okay.' I yawned, feeling relieved. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to get out of bed until lunchtime at least.

The car dropped me home and I snuck into the house quietly, trying not to disturb Nathan. I was surprised to see that he was still up, strumming on his guitar.

'You're still up!' I exclaimed, surprised, as I walked into the living room. I glanced over at the clock, which read almost 4am.

He looked over at me with a lopsided smile. 'As are you.'

'I had no idea I was going to be there almost twenty four hours and I wasn't even filming until sunset.' I groaned, placing my bag down on the side.

'Are you tired?' He asked, putting his guitar down and standing up.

'Not really. I've had too much coffee.'

'Good, because there's something I want to show you.'

As we drove up Mullholland Highway, I suddenly became aware of where we were going. The Hollywood sign stood on the hill behind us as Nathan parked the car, the roof coming back over the top of it. We both got out and he locked it as I threw on my baggy jumper over my leggings and t-shirt outfit combo. Even at night, the Hollywood sign looked lovely.

'It's just so cool.' I smiled as his fingers wrapped around mine.

'That's not the best bit.' He replied. 'Mind a little walk?'

'Not at all.'

We walked along the dirt track carefully, following the light of the torch Nathan had thankfully brought with him. It was fairly steep and it twisted around the corner. Then he stopped and I saw why. From where we were, high up in Hollywood, you could see not only the Hollywood sign but, if you turned around, Los Angeles was visible in front of the glowing horizon, where the sun was ready to rise. The buildings rose up, skyscrapers into the sky, and they were lit in the disappearing darkness. Nathan laid out a blanket and we sat on it, protecting our clothes from the dusty ground. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer and I rested my head on his shoulder.

'It's so pretty.' I whispered, in awe of the incredible view.

'It is.' He whispered back as the sun started to emerge, causing the sky to turn into a slightly orangey colour.

I moved my head so that I was looking at him and he smiled in the early morning light. I leant towards him, gently kissing his lips and he smiled into the kiss, cupping my face and making the kiss more passionate. He moved his lips urgently against mine and then slipped his tongue into my mouth, his tongue almost dancing slowly with mine. I moved so that I was straddling his lap, still kissing him and he pulled back slowly, breathless. He rested his forehead against mine as he let out a deep sigh.

'Are you okay?' I asked him.

'I'm better than okay.' He replied, with a smile, pushing my hair out of my face. He kissed my nose gently as his thumb caressed my cheek in an affectionate gesture. He looked like he was about to say something else, but he stopped himself. I climbed off of his lap, turning back around to look at the sunrise. It was so beautiful. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, snapping a quick picture of it. Then I turned back to Nathan, who was watching me intently.

'What?' I asked with a grin and he smiled, kissing my forehead.

'Nothing.'

We didn't wake up until the afternoon the following day and I spent my time lounging by the pool, checking up on social media and uploading my photos from LA so far, whilst Nathan sat trying to finish a song for his new album. I quickly checked my e-mails, unsurprised that I had e-mails from Leanne and Willow.

 _Cuz,_

 _Could you have warned me before going public with your relationship with Nathan Jones?! All the women at work are quizzing me about him and suddenly I've become crazy popular which is freaking me out a little. Apparently they're more Team Nate than Team Ed, not that it bothers you of course, but hey, your taste in men has improved, right? My manager wants an exclusive on the Lathan relationship just to warn you, but I've told him I can't get involved. Anyhow, when am I meeting him and checking he's good enough for you?_

 _Missing you and hope you're enjoying Hollywood,_

 _Willz_

 _P.S That dress from the UNICEF ball was fabulous. I must borrow it sometime, if I ever go anywhere fancy enough._

I laughed and quickly typed her a reply before opening my email from my other best friend, Leanne.

 _OMG FACEBOOK OFFICIAL! AND MEDIA OFFICIAL?! All the magazines have you on the cover, even Hello Magazine (but don't worry, all the pictures they've used have been nice ones). There's even some articles about Ed being jealous because he keeps rolling out from nightclubs with girls on his arm, but hey, if that's his way of coping then whatever. Shouldn't have fucked with your mind in the first place, right? But seriously, you two are really cute, just take things slow because I don't want to be picking up tiny pieces of your heart again. That was awful. When are you home? We must have a girl's night!_

 _Love you,_

 _Leanne_

I replied to her and re-opened the Facebook window, where friends requests from unknown people were coming in and my photos had finally uploaded. I looked at the ones of Nathan and I at Disneyland and smiled. They were very cute. But then all of the photos of us from Hollywood were. I changed my picture to one of us dancing together at the Ball, deciding that was my favourite as I liked the way he was looking at me.

'Aha! I've finally finished it!' Nathan called out, triumphantly.

'Well done.' I smiled at him. 'I wish I could finish the one I've been trying to write for the last month and a half. I think it would be pretty good too.' I sighed in frustration, closing my laptop.

'Can I have a look?'

'Sure.' I grabbed my guitar and songbook from the outside table and sat down beside him. 'This is what I have so far.'

I strummed the introduction before making a start.

 _'I'd like to say we gave it a try_

 _I'd like to blame it all on life_

 _Maybe we just weren't right, but that's a lie, that's a lie_

 _And we can deny it as much as we want_

 _But in time our feelings will show_

 _'Cause sooner or later_

 _We'll wonder why we gave up_

 _The truth is everyone knows.'_

I stopped playing and looked over at Nathan, who was biting his lip. 'Is it really bad?'

'Not at all.' He gave me a small smile. 'Is it about Ed?'

'No,' I replied, truthfully. 'It's really a song about every break-up when everything fit perfectly. Like Daisy's relationship with Jake. They hooked up and then they ended it and then now they're officially an item.'

'So you and Ed weren't the perfect fit?'

'No.' I replied, looking up at him. 'If we'd been the perfect fit then he wouldn't have cheated. But I'm glad he did because otherwise I wouldn't have met you.'

His lips turned up into a smile. 'This reminds me of my parents actually. They were together and broke up, but then they realised they were meant to be together, you know?' He strummed on his guitar and looked thoughtful for a moment. _'Almost, almost is never enough, So close to being in love.'_

I nodded and scribbled down the lyrics as the next lines came into my mind. _'If I would have known that you wanted me_

 _The way I wanted you_

 _Then maybe we wouldn't be two worlds apart_

 _But right here in each other's arms._

 _And we almost, we almost knew what love was_

 _But almost is never enough.'_

Nathan nodded. 'That's good.' He grabbed my pencil, circling the lyrics we'd just decided on together. 'So that can be the chorus. Can you play the chords for the verse again?' I did as he asked and he continued to sing. _'If I could change the world overnight_

 _There'd be no such thing as goodbye.'_

An hour later and he'd helped me finish the song. I'd pulled him into a hug and kissed him on the lips, pleased that we'd sorted it. 'There, all ready for your next album.' He said with a smile. 'Do you want to do a run-through?'

I bit my lip. 'I actually think it would sound better as a duet, you know?' I scribbled on 'Nate' over one of the verses, writing our names to make it clear who was singing what. 'What do you think?'

'It's up to you, it's your song.' He said with a lopsided smile.

'Well I think your voice works well with it.'

'Then let's give it a go.'

The next day, Eric had organised a photoshoot with the aim of having some good album artwork for Made in the USA, although he also wanted to update the photos on my social media websites, as well as my own website. Nathan had decided to tag along as he'd finished the last song he needed for his album. It meant at least I had someone to talk to in between shots, although I worried what outfit Eric had instore for me.

We met at Eric's hotel, where my hair was curled and scrunched with product until it had a beach-babe vibe to it and my eyes were given their usual smokey-eyed make-over. I changed into the denim mini-shorts they had for me from the music video shoot, as well as the cowboy ankle boots. Then I slipped into the off-the-shoulder cream crop top, which had large angel wings marked onto the back of it. With a dangling silver necklace and some bracelets and a ring, Eric gave his nod of approval and we headed off to the first place we were taking photographs, which happened to be the Hollywood sign.

'Okay Lucy, the first photo I'm thinking is of you facing the Hollywood sign.' The photographer told me. 'Arms out, looking excited.' I did what I was told, listening to the camera clicking away. 'Yep, perfect. Can we add in the guitar?' My guitar was placed beside me and I held it in place with my hand. 'Yeah that looks great. Okay, Lucy, turn around and have the guitar in the middle of you. Yep that's perfect. Smile. Now pout. Yep the camera loves you.' I laughed at that bit as Nathan rolled his eyes. It was something photographers said far too much.

The photoshoot continued and I posed in the trunk of a chevy (of course), lying down and then with sunglasses on. Then I was directed to the front, leaning against the open bonnet of the car, which seemed weird to me. Then they said something which caught me by surprise.

'Nathan, can we get you in some of these photos?' Eric asked after talking in private with the photographer. My eyes widened and I glanced over at my boyfriend, who looked as surprised as I was. 'I'll send them over to your manager before actually publishing them.' My manager added.

'Sure, I don't see why not.' Nathan shrugged, sending me a lopsided smile.

The photos started off simple, with a close up of our hands intertwined and then our hands making a heart shape. Even the photo of us stood in front of the Hollywood sign, backs turned with me looking over my shoulder was alright. Then he wanted the mushy stuff and I felt like I was back filming Ed's music video in Nashville again. It felt awkward posing, almost-kissing, in front of the cameras and I wished they weren't there so that I could relax. But then Nathan looked at me, his eyes soft and kind, and somehow it made everything better.


	22. Ibiza

Being back in England was definitely a shock to the system. Especially as my first week back it rained. The whole time. In May. On Monday 18th May, my video for Made in the USA was released worldwide, whilst I was sat in a meeting with my usual crew, including my band, Jamie-Lee, Darren and of course, Eric. The video was good and the actors had chemistry for sure. And then the storyline was fantastic; he was in the army and thankfully, he returned safely. Eric of course was taking full responsibility for this, although I was sure it hadn't been his idea. The single had been released the day before and so far it was doing pretty well in the charts. Everyone was happy. And then Eric dropped a bombshell.

'I'm sending you to Ibiza.' He announced and I glanced at my bandmates, our eyes wide.

'Uhm... okay.' I replied, unsure what else I was supposed to say. Off again? I'd only been back just over a week. And besides, Ibiza, really? I'd never been but didn't people just go to get drunk and to get laid?

'You could be more enthusiastic.' Eric rolled his eyes.

'Yeah, it's Ibiza! Sun and parties!' Jamie-Lee beamed and I simply just blinked at her.

'And what am I going to be doing in Ibiza?' I asked, worried about the answer.

'Well you're performing at Ibiza Rocks and you're also going to be doing a swimwear photoshoot.' Eric explained.

'A swimswear photoshoot?' I choked out. Ibiza Rocks would be fine, performing to a bunch of drunk pool party goers. No problem. But a swimwear photoshoot?

'The brand loved your Victoria's Secret performance and they think you'd be great publicity for their new line. It would do you some good too.'

'When am I going?' I asked, biting my lip nervously.

'Three weeks today.'

'Ibiza will be cool.' Nathan said, shooting me a reassuring smile that evening when we were sat in front of the television together.

'It's the photoshoot that I'm worried about.' I sighed, still feeling nervous. I'd even renewed my gym membership just incase. I was going to need to go at least twice a day. At least. But I wasn't going to tell Nathan that.

'It'll be fine.' He kissed my forehead. 'My best mate is off out there next month actually. When are you going?'

'June 6th.'

'Oh sweet, they're going out on the 4th.' He paused for a moment, as if contemplating something.

'What?' I eyeballed him, feeling confused.

'I could take some time off recording and come out with you.' He grinned. 'Not to bug you the whole time of course, but I could catch up with my friends and then see you too.'

My phone buzzed and I pulled it out, quickly.

 _Can't wait to see you! Twelve days to go! Willz xxx_

'Oh crap.' I cursed.

'What?'

'Willow's coming over on the 4th and I completely forgot.'

'So invite her to Ibiza.' He grinned. 'Party central. The more the merrier.'

I puffed out the breath I didn't realise I'd been holding. Did music artists ever get time off? I was wondering if it was even possible.

On the 4th June, I fainted. Everything had been going fine. I'd been looking forward to seeing Willow and my aunt and uncle, and I'd been packing for spending the night with my family at my parent's house. But then I turned on the television and the sight made me dizzy. A burning street. One which was too familiar. One which I hadn't seen for a very long time. In Budapest, Hungary, a bomb had been set off in a bank. Supposedly savants were to blame. The shop names were familiar, the language I couldn't decipher displayed everywhere. The thought made me feel sick. Should I have done my research? Possibly. Guilt consumed me as the death count appeared on screen; 8 dead, 3 with life-threatening injuries. Then I passed out.

When I made it to my parent's house that evening, an hour and a half late, they knew something was wrong, but I couldn't tell them. I spent the evening locking it up deep inside me, determined not to let anyone know what happened. Even my cousin, who watched me with worried eyes, couldn't know.

'So do you think I've got everything?' Willow asked as she repacked her suitcase for Ibiza in my living room the next day. She added another bikini to the mix and I rolled my eyes.

'Are you planning on just wearing biknis? Because I think three would be fine.'

'This is Ibiza, cuz. You have to be fashionable. It's not like Magaluf. Ibiza is the real deal. Cocktails, sunsets, parties and fashion. Some of us haven't got a designer wardrobe like you.'

'I'm happy to share, honestly.' I laughed. I'd received a lot of clothes when labels and brands had heard I was going to Ibiza. Everyone wanted a bit of publicity and that was fine by me.

'Eric's not added anymore work, has he? Is it still just Ibiza Rocks and the photoshoot?'

'Yep.' I nodded. 'He promised I'd have some time off. Though Nate's playing at the Hard Rock Hotel tomorrow night and I promised we'd go to that.'

'Sure.' She smiled. 'I'll help fight off the fan girls.'

We met the band at the airport the next day and Daisy was already in shorts and a vest top, despite the cold, rainy UK weather. I was glad they were joining me. I'd felt lost without them when performing in California and I didn't want them to miss out again as they'd been gutted they weren't seeing Hollywood. We sat together on the plane, sadly not in first class, and a couple hours of later, we had landed.

'Welcome to the Santos Suites.' A gentleman behind the reception desk said in a Spanish accent, a warm smile on his face. 'It is a pleasure to have you here Miss May.' He turned to my friends. 'Welcome all of you.'

'Thank you.' I smiled, chewing my sunglasses.

'Now your manager made me ensure that you had the best rooms.' He said, typing something into his database. 'You have seaviews and balconies.' He passed me a key and then Jesse. I hoped Daisy wouldn't mind that we'd been split into our sexes, as she and Jake had become pretty joined at the hip, but then the rooms were pricey. 'You're on the third floor, just take the elevator and turn left. Would you like help with your bags?'

I pulled my guitar strap over my shoulder and grabbed my floral suitcase. 'No we'll be fine thank you.'

The rooms were decorated with white walls and white flooring, a turquoise sofa bed in the living/diner along with a fridge and a hob. The living/diner led to our balcony which gave us a view of the pool and the beautiful sea. My friends squealed with excitement and I retreated to the bedroom with them, where there were three single beds spaced out by the large closet. It was perfect.

We didn't hesitate to get changed. We'd had lunch at the airport and it was only 2pm, so we all changed into summer gear and headed out to explore. in my denim hotpants, black bikini and white kimono, I felt Ibiza cool as we walked down to explore the pool area. The hotel was pretty small, so the pool area wasn't giant but it was chic. There was an oval pool overlooking the ocean and it was surrounded by double sunbeds, which ressembled beds, and white sofas around tables, decorated with bright blue, pink and yellow cushions. I recognised a familiar chest lying on a double sunbed and I waved at him. He grinned and stood up, as the girls and I walked over to him.

'Hey princess.' He said softly, pulling me in for a quick kiss. Willow cleared her throat behind me and I laughed as I pulled back.

'Nate, this is my _wonderful_ cousin-'

'And practically sister.' Willow interrupted.

' _And practically sister,_ Willow.' I continued, rolling my eyes at Willow as she ran a hand through her perfectly-straight brunette hair.

'Great to meet you at last.' Nathan smiled, holding his hand out for her. She shook it and Daisy giggled at the formality. 'And hey dais, you alright?'

'Yeah thanks.' My red-headed band mate nodded, high-fiving my boyfriend. Daisy and Willow put their towels down on a sunbed and then headed over to the bar, leaving Nathan and I alone.

'So how come you're sunning yourself solo?' I asked with a grin, lying down on my stomach on the comfy double sunbed beside him so that we were facing the sparkling blue ocean.

'All day boat party.' He replied, rolling his eyes. 'They left at 10am and they're back at 4pm. They wanted me to go but I had soundcheck at lunchtime ready for the gig later.' He planted a kiss on my shoulder. 'Why? Looking forward to meeting them?'

'More like nervous.' I bit my lip, looking out at the private hotel beach, where a few people were sunbathing. A couple girls glanced our way, gawping, and I realised they probably recognised my boyfriend. And probably fancied him too. I didn't blame them.

'They'll love you.' He smiled, tucking my hair behind my ear, probably so that he could actually see my face. 'As long as I'm happy then so are they.'

We didn't stay by the pool for that long. Nathan headed off to get ready for his gig and to get over to the Hard Rock hotel, as his gig started at 6pm, and we grabbed an early dinner with Jesse and Jake by the poolside before heading upstairs to get changed. Daisy had decided on high-waisted denim shorts, coverse and a white vest top tucked in, with a plaid shirt tied around her waist, her make-up retro with bright red lips. Willow had gone for a black playsuit and flip-flops, her make-up a little sparkly for the evening and her hair pin-straight. I was still stood there, staring at my clothes at 5.30 and we were running out of time. My hair was curly, that was fine. My make-up consisted of smokey eye shadow and a natural-looking lipstick. That was fine. But what was I going to wear? Nathan's friends were going to be there and I needed to impress them. I also needed to look cooler than the load of fangirls who would be attending the concert.

'You're such a pain.' Daisy joked, finishing the braid at the side of her head. The doorbell rang. 'The guys must be ready.' She disappeared out of the bedroom and I sighed dramatically.

Willow rummaged around in the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of blue denim high-waisted shorts, a thin black belt and my black, strapless lace bralet. 'Here. I've made the decision for you. Now get a move on.'

I paired the outfit with a pair of sparkly sandals with a small wedge heel, threw on a dangly necklace and then we were ready to go back out into the warm evening air.

The Hard Rock Hotel was only a ten minute walk away and the queue was awful when we arrived. Luckily, the benefits of going out with the star meant that with a few words spoken to the security guard and a quick check of ID and the guestlist, we were handed 'Access all areas' lanyards and then we were sent straight inside.

'Well I think it's clear to say we're the minority.' Jake said to Jesse after we grabbed our drinks at the bar, grabbing a spot to stand in away from the crowd. He was right. There were hundreds of girls, dressed in bikinis and skimpy outfits.

'Can't complain.' Jesse grinned and Daisy and I rolled our eyes as Willow looked at Jesse, warily. Of course he wouldn't complain. He loved women. Too much some might say.

'So I might be feeling a little self-conscious right now.' I said to Willow and Daisy, looking around warily at the girls with tiny waists and larger breasts than me. How was that possible? I'd lost weight, but it had gone from both my stomach and a little from my breasts, which was damn irritating.

'Wasn't it like this when you were with Ed?' Daisy replied, looking disgusted at a girl whose bikini was disappearing into her backside. Gross.

'Oh yes, but Nate is really, really good-looking.' I sighed and Daisy nodded.

'Yep, your taste has improved. Before it was the voice and the personality that attracted fans more I think. Nate's got everything. The voice, the personality, the looks, the kindness...' Willow winked.

'Thanks, you're totally making me feel better about the situation.' I said, drily.

'Oh hush, he could have any girl here and he's chosen you.' Daisy said with a reassuring smile. 'He's totally besotted with you.'

The crowd squealed and screamed, excitedly and very high-pitch and I suddenly felt like I was at one of the McBusted gigs I had attended every year. Except all of these girls were at least eighteen. And they were screaming for my boyfriend. The familiar intro of 'Listen to the Man' started to play and then the lights were on, revealing Nathan in his stone-coloured shorts and a grey tank top, showing his muscles and the corner of his tattoo.

 _'I feel your head resting heavy on your single bed_

 _I want to hear all about it, get it all off your chest_

 _I feel the tears and you're not alone_

 _When I hold you well I won't let go_

 _Why should we care for what they're selling us anyway_

 _We're so young girl and you know_

 _You don't have to be there babe_

 _You don't have to be scared babe_

 _You don't need a plan, of what you want to do_

 _Won't you listen to the man that's loving you.'_

The crowd loved it, dancing together to the first song, although then the songs slowed down as Nathan moved into 'Budapest' and 'Blame it on me', swaying to the music instead as they drank the drinks they'd bought at the bar. Willow and I moved onto bottles of beer as Jake and Daisy held each other as they sang along, sotfly, Jesse already lost in the crowd of women.

'You know, I've always wanted to see Nathan Jones in concert.' Willow said from beside me, a playful grin on her face. 'I just didn't realise that my cousin was going to end up dating him.'

'Believe me, I didn't either.'

'You were so against having another relationship. What happened, huh?'

'I don't know.' I replied with a shrug. I took a swig of my beer. 'It doesn't mean I'm not worried though. You know, that he's going to hurt me like Ed did.'

'And Ed was your soulfinder.' She commented and I sucked in a deep breath. I hadn't told her that part.

'Erm well here's the thing...'

I filled her in on the soulfinder thing and her eyebrows raised as she looked at me in surprise. Eventually, she said something. 'Damn girl, you have two soulfinders and I've not got a clue where mine is. Though I'm pretty glad. I'm happy with Scott and I don't want anything to ruin that.' She looked off dreamily and I smiled, happy for her.

'Wow Ibiza, you are great and you're looking fantastic tonight.' Nathan said into the microphone, causing a group of girls near us to scream. Willow screamed from beside me and I elbowed her in the ribs, embarassed by my family member. 'Okay this next song is something new that I started writing on tour. I hope you like it.'

He strummed on his guitar and closed his eyes as he started to sing,

 _'The sun goes down_

 _The stars come out_

 _And all that counts_

 _Is here and now_

 _My universe will never be the same_

 _I'm glad you came.'_

His eyes locked with mine over the crowd and he winked at me before continuing the song.

 _'You cast a spell on me, spell on me_

 _You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me_

 _And I decided you look well on me, well on me_

 _So let's go somewhere no one else can see, you and me_

 _Turn the lights out now_

 _Now I'll take you by the hand_

 _Hand you another drink_

 _Drink it if you can_

 _Can you spend a little time,_

 _Time is slipping away,_

 _Away from us so stay,_

 _Stay with me I can make,_

 _Make you glad you came_

 _The sun goes down_

 _The stars come out_

 _And all that counts_

 _Is here and now_

 _My universe will never be the same_

 _I'm glad you came_

 _I'm glad you came.'_

It was quicker, more upbeat than most of his other stuff but it was good and the crowd thought so too, as they danced together and cheered although as Nathan's sexy voice echoed around the hotel grounds. Willow and I danced together, freezing when two guys in baggy shorts and plain t-shirts approached us.

'Hey girls.' The brunette guy said, a cocky grin on his face.

'Uhm, hi.' My cousin replied and the blonde raised an eyebrow, grinning.

'American? Sweet!' He commented.

'Would you like to dance?' The brunette asked Willow.

'I have a boyfriend.' She shook her head, folding her arms around her chest.

Nathan's cover of 'Uptown Funk' soon started up and the crowd cheered, dancing around as wildly as they could to his acoustic performance.

The brunette guy turned to face me as I tapped my foot in time to the music. 'You'll dance with me won't you gorgeous?'

'I have a boyfriend too.' I replied with a frown. His breath smelt of alcohol and I was sure he'd probably had too much.

'So where is he?' He asked, reaching for my hand, so I folded my arms across my chest, mirroring my cousin, who looked plain irritated.

'Uhm, there.' I pointed at Nathan on the stage, where he was singing and strumming his guitar.

The guys both laughed a lot, shaking their heads in disbelief. 'You and all the other girls in here darlin'.' The blonde said, rolling his eyes.

'She's telling the truth.' Willow replied. 'She's Lucy May.'

The brunette guy raised his eyebrow. 'You're not Lucy May.' I rolled my eyes. They had beer goggles on, clearly.

'Uhm, actually I am.' I frowned.

'Miss May, everything okay?' One of the security guards asked from behind me. Clearly Eric had told them to keep an eye on me or something as Matt was having some much-deserved time off with his family. The two guys bugging us glanced at each other, their eyes wide as they realised that Willow and I had not been lying.

'Yes it's fine.' I replied to the security guard with a smile and he nodded before heading back to where he had been stood.

'Dude, you totally tried to chat up _Lucy May_ and got burned.' The blonde guy said as he let off his drunk friend, walking into the crowd to find another girl to prey on. Willow turned to me and laughed, a proper, giggly laugh and then she set me off too.

Nathan's performance finished at 8pm, just as the sun was getting ready to set. The crowd screamed and applauded, some girls throwing themselves at the stage as he said 'goodnight' and threw his water bottle into the crowd. I laughed as girls fought over it, desperate for some of my boyfriend's DNA.

'You laugh but we were both like that when it came to the Jonas Brothers.' Willow elbowed me in the ribs.

'Now that I've met Nick Jonas, that just seems weird.' I said, shaking my head in disbelief. 'Besides we were young and naive.'

'Well I guess your boyfriend shouldn't be so good-looking, huh? I'm glad your taste has improved. You've been out with some right weirdos and then a few that were nice but not the least bit attractive.'

'It's about personality.'

'Now I know that's not what first attracted you to Nate.' She teased. 'Now come on, let's get away from the crowd before they start moving and kill you so that they can steal your boyfriend.'

We headed backstage with Daisy and Jake, using our access all areas lanyards. My heart hammered in my chest, wildly. I was going to meet Nathan's best friends. The thought scared me. A lot. What if they didn't like me? Or didn't think I was good enough? Or something equally bad?

'Hey princess.' Nathan grinned as he spotted me. He picked me up and spun me around, making me laugh, before planting a soft kiss on my lips.

'You were great!' I told him with a smile as the kiss ended and Willow nodded from my side.

'You really were, although there were times I thought girls were going to climb onto the stage and attack you.' My cousin laughed and Nathan smiled cheekily.

'Mate, nice work.' A guy with shaggy blonde hair and brown eyes, reminding me of Jesse McCartney, said as he appeared with a guy with styled brunette hair and brown eyes and a petite girl with ash blonde curly shoulder-length hair and very dark, pretty eyes ( **AN: Lily James** ).

'Thanks, mate.' Nathan grinned, high-fiving and hugging his blonde friend. He stepped back from the hug. 'Guys, this is Daisy, Jake, Willow and of course, Lucy.' He shot me an adorable smile that made my heart jump a little. 'Lucy, this is Aidan.' He signalled to the blonde. 'Kyle.' He signalled to the brunette. 'And Lily.' He signalled to the pretty girl. When he said his mates were in Ibiza, I hadn't imagined one of them would be a girl. It made me nervous. Was she an ex? Had there ever been anything between them? I wouldn't have been surprised if there had. Nathan's friends shook all of our hands and smiled at me.

'It's about bloody time he let us meet you.' Kyle said, rolling his eyes. 'It's like he's embarassed of us or something.'

'He talks about you all the time.' Lily smiled and I relaxed a bit. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

'Right come on, let's head on out.' Aidan said. 'I think drinks are in order.'

'I think I've only just sobered up from the boat.' Lily sighed.

'A few drinks won't hurt.' Nathan smiled, reaching for my hand and giving it a squeeze. 'Just not too many as don't want to be sick on the boat tomorrow.' I looked up at him in confusion and he grinned. What boat? I turned to Willow and noticed her eyes were wide as she looked at Kyle. Had I missed something?

We ended up at a bar called Dunes, which was a bar and diner along the main road. Nathan and his friends had been before, so it seemed, as they were greeted personally by the owner, who led us to a 'VIP' area, a smile on his face. The VIP area was on a raised platform, with large grey sofas, and it was in front of a wall with the words 'Music is the answer' written on it in glow-in-the-dark 3D letters. I couldn't help but smile at the irony of it all. We ordered our drinks and then I dragged my mute cousin off to the ladies, trying to work out what the hell was going on with her.

'Blimey Willow, I know it's not been sunny in Michigan lately but you look like a ghost.' I told her as I inspected her under the toilet lights. She looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes sad. 'What's wrong?' I asked her, really starting to feel concerned.

'Kyle.' She whispered and I looked at her, confused.

'Do you know him?'

'He's.. he's... my... soul...finder.' She stuttered, running a hand through her hair, something she did when she was nervous.

'What?!' I gasped, my eyes wide. I turned her so that she was looking at me. 'Are you sure?'

'What do you mean am I sure? He was in my head and no one has ever done that before and oh my god, what am I going to do? I _love_ Scott.' Her eyes filled with tears and I pulled her in for a hug.

'You don't _have_ to be with your soulfinder, Wills. You have to do whatever makes you happy.'

'But aren't soulfinders supposed to be together?' She pulled back from the hug, having pulled herself together a little.

'I don't know, who am I to say anything when I have two.' I frowned. 'But you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Just be his friend, maybe? I'm sure being friends with your soulfinder is okay.'

She gave a half-smile. 'I think I need a drink.'

'You and me both.' I replied as a group of girls walked into the toilets. They glanced over at me, their eyes wide. 'Come on, let's go and drink some cocktails. Apparently they're pretty strong here.'

Willow had relaxed half an hour later, when we were on our second cocktail, although I couldn't help but notice that Kyle could hardly take his eyes off of her. That was nothing new; my cousin always had eyes on her, wherever she went. Guys loved her. But there was something more intense about the way he was watching her and any normal person would find it creepy, any person who knew nothing about savants and soulfinders.

'So what was all this about a boat?' I asked Nathan as Willow chatted to Lily about America.

'We've hired a boat for the day tomorrow. I was hoping you might join us.' He smiled, squeezing my hand.

'I'm in and I'm sure Willow will be too. Daisy? Jake?'

'We're actually going to head to the North of the island and go horse-riding.' Daisy replied with a smile. 'It's a date day.'

'No problem.' Nathan replied with a nod. 'That sounds fun.' He turned to me. 'Maybe we should do that.'

'Not with my clumsiness.' I replied, my eyebrows high on my forehead.

'Hmm maybe not.' He chuckled, planting a kiss on my cheek.

The next day, we had breakfast altogether in the hotel restaurant and then we headed to the dock, where the yacht was waiting for us. When Nathan had said he'd hired a boat, I was thinking it was going to be small, but I was wrong. The white ketch was huge with navy blue sails stretching into the sky. Nathan greeted the captain and we climbed on board, the boat gently rocking in the water as a couple of jetskis passed. I hoped I wasn't going to be seasick. Willow walked onto the boat, making herself comfy on the padded ground at the front that had been designed for sunbathing. She pulled off her black swing dress, revealing the designer black bikini I had donated to her as I was not impressed with how much of my curvy bum it showed. I watched as Kyle walked over to her, sitting down beside her.

'Who'd have thought it, huh?' Nathan said, wrapping his arms around my waist. I'd opted for a cobalt blue bikini and I was wearing my denim shorts and a turquoise floral kimono with it.

'She's got a boyfriend back home.' I replied.

'I know and so does he.' Nathan said. He tucked my hair behind my ear so that he could plant a gentle kiss on my cheek. 'But they can be friends.'

'That's what I told her.' I smiled, turning in his arms to face him. 'So splashing out the cash again are we?'

'I thought it would be a nice chilled day.' He smiled. 'I heard you were up early this morning. Writing songs? Ibiza can be pretty inspirational.'

I looked out at the blue sea, crystal clear, as we headed out of the port and into the open. 'It is pretty inspirational, but I was actually making use of the gym.'

Nathan frowned. 'I wish you'd realise you're perfect just the way you are.' He caressed my cheek with his hand and rested his forehead against mine. 'You don't need to lose weight, you're beautiful and _sexy._ '

'Okay, I'll go to the photoshoot tomorrow and then no more gym.' I gave him a small smile and he smiled back, pulling me in for a kiss as he rested against the railings of the boat. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled me closer, kissing me with more passion than he ever had before.

'Ick, get a room!' Aidan called out and we pulled away from each other laughing.

Willow and I spent the morning sunbathing as we headed along the Ibiza coastline, taking in the beautiful views of the crystal water, the dolphins swimming past us occasionally and the caves in the cliffs. Lily soon came to join us, armed with cocktails the boat staff had made for us. She passed us each a drink and we sat up, looking at the horizon in front of us and enjoying the warmth of the sun on our skin.

'I've never seen Nate this happy.' Lily told me with a friendly smile, pulling the umbrella out of her cocktail and tucking it into the bun in her hair. 'He's completely crazy about you.'

'I'm sure he's not.' I laughed, looking over my shoulder at where the guys were drinking their beers and playing a card game of some sort. I looked at my boyfriend's muscles, perfectly toned and tanned and I sucked in my breath as his eyes met mine. He was so damn gorgeous. The boat stopped and we heard the anchor go down. I looked over at the cove we'd stopped in; no buildings, no roads, nobody. Just turquoise waters and cliff faces and rocks covered with vegetation. Our own kind of paradise.

'Trust me, he is.' Lily grinned. 'He's like a brother to me, always has been, and I've seen him with loads of girls. But with you, it's totally different.'

'Told you so.' Willow said from beside me, glancing at me from under her shades. I adjusted the hat on my head, nervously, as the guys came over to join us, sitting down on the padded ground.

'So who's up for a game?' Aidan said, grinning from ear to ear.

'It depends what the game is.' Lily replied, looking at him warily. 'I know what you're like.'

'Who can get in the water the quickest?' Aidan grinned.

'We're not thirteen anymore.' Lily rolled her eyes.

'I'm in.' I replied with a smirk. I had a plan.

'Sweet. Everyone up.' Aidan said. Everyone stood up looking confused and I quickly took off my hat, tucking it under my bag. '1...2...3... go!'

Almost everyone ran for the stairs at the back of the boat, but Nathan and I had the same idea. We ran for the railings, tucking ourselves under them and then we leapt into the water. Nathan's jump was more of a flip, but I jumped in, holding onto my bikini tightly as I hit the cool water. My head came to the surface and I gasped at the coolness of the water on my skin. I looked over at Nathan, irritated that he'd surfaced just before me. He'd won.

'Nice try.' He said with a cocky grin and I splashed him as our friends hit the water from the back of the boat.

'Cheaters!' Aidan bellowed out.

'You didn't lay any rules on the table!' Nathan called back as they swam towards us. He turned towards me as we both treaded water to keep afloat. 'We're not dressed up to the nines this time.'

'Makes a change.' I smiled. I looked up at the boat next to us. 'We did just do something pretty crazy though.'

'True. You were worried about horse-riding but willing to leap off the front of a boat? You're some crazy adrenaline junkie, aren't you?'

I thought back to the time I'd ran into the alleyway the night I'd met Ed, throwing the attacker off of Sky. 'Yeah, I guess you could say that.'

We spent the rest of the day in the water, tucking into lunch, chatting and chilling in the sunshine and, as the sun started to set, we headed back to Playa d'en Bossa, where we all decided to have an early night. Nathan and his friends were planning on getting some watersports done the next day before we all headed across the island to Saint Antonio, where we'd be spending the rest of the holiday.

My alarm went off at 7.30am the next day and Willow and I got up without waking Daisy, getting dressed into vest tops and shorts and heading downstairs for breakfast. A car picked us up at 8.30am and I was surprised and annoyed to find that Eric was in it. He greeted us both, awkwardly.

'I'm glad you've been working out. I saw that in the photos posted this morning.' Eric said as he flicked through something on his iPad.

'Pictures?' I looked at him, puzzled. I'd not uploaded any pictures from the day before. Not yet, anyway.

'Yes, the ones the press took of you and Nathan on the boat.' He raised his iPad so I could see it, revealing a picture of Nathan and I on the boat, his arms around my waist just as we left. Then there was one of us kissing, which irritated me. What an invasion of privacy. It was true, though, about it being clear I'd been in the gym. My stomach was flat and toned and my thighs looked toned too.

'Eugh they must have followed us.' I said, irritated.

'It's good press.' Eric replied and Willow rolled her eyes. As long as Eric got his good press, he was always going to be happy.

The drive to the location was only about twenty minutes, but it couldn't be any further away from the town we'd spent the last few days in. We found ourselves in a dirt-track carpark, alongside two other cars. A woman dressed in black greeted me with a shake of the hand and a smile and she led us down the rocky path and into the secluded cove. The location was beautiful. The small beach was sandy, despite being surrounded by rocky plant-covered cliffs and the water was different shades of blue. A small, old, wooden jetty stretched out from the sand and into the sea, adding some character to the minature paradise.

I was whisked straight into hair and make-up, a small marquee on the sand, where my hair was scrunched using seasalt spray until it ressembled almost a mermaid. My make-up was kept minimal and natural, almost looking like I wasn't wearing any at all. Then it was time to change in the 'dressing room' (or private tent) into my first bikini. Nerves flitted through my stomach like butterflies as I looked in the propped-up full-length mirror at the white bikini. I'd always had something against white bikinis, mainly because I knew white went see-through easily. I gulped at the thought, looking at the tiny straps of the bikini bottoms. At least the bikini top was padded. It made my breasts look bigger which was good, wasn't it?

'How are you doing in there, Lucy?' The stylist called from outside the tent. 'Can I come in?'

'Yes.' I replied, nervously.

The stylist, Cady, walked in. 'That fits perfectly.' She commented, before walking over to the dress rail. 'Here, can you put this on.' She passed me a turquoise lace kimono and I slipped it on, grateful for anything that would cover me up. 'Great, come on out.'

Swimwear photoshoots were weird, I decided later that day. I'd posed on the sand, sat on my knees with a kimono hanging off myself. I'd posed in the water, lying on my front. I'd posted in a tied up t-shirt and skimpy bikini bottoms, laughing. I'd even posed on a rock, my legs in the water, wearing a polka-dot bikini and a tied, open denim shirt. Some of the shots had been sexy, but others had been fun. I decided that _Elzbieta_ hadn't decided what look they wanted their new range of swimwear to have. Either way, I was thankful to be back at that hotel that night, even if I'd been given everything I'd worn as a gift.

The next day, we checked out and shared out our luggage between Jake's, Lily's and Nathan's hire cars before checking out of our hotel and heading off for San Antonio. Because I was performing at Ibiza Rocks, we'd been given discount when booking at the Ibiza Rocks House, not that we needed the discount as Nathan and I could have paid for our guests between us. Originally, Nathan's friends were going to be staying in San Antonio in a cheap hotel, but they were more than happy with the upgrade. The Ibiza Rocks House was far away enough from the business that it was chilled, but close enough to the action for when we wanted it. It was made up of 25 rooms and had been stayed in by so many cool famous people including Freddi Mercury and Paolo Nutini. I'd managed to persuade Willow to share a twin room with Lily, as they were getting on so well, and Jake and Daisy were ecstatic to be sharing so it meant that I had a room with Nathan, which meant we'd have some alone time.

'Holy crap.' I gasped as I opened the door to our room. The floor was covered with a material similar to marble and there was a large television sat opposite a modern-looking sofa with 'Ibiza Rocks' cushions. Through an archway was the bedroom, with a mahoghany king-sized bed and a walk-in wardrobe. Then there was a mahoghany door leading to the biggest bathroom I'd ever been in, with it's shower tucked into a mosaic-covered alcove, a large jet bath and a fancy-looking sink.

'Okay, this is sweet.' Nathan grinned as he followed me around the apartment. It was pretty spacious and even had a balcony over-looking the pool area, which had circular double sunbeds around the reasonable-sized pool. 'I don't know why I've never been here before.'

'This is pretty far from the hostels I've stayed in.' I laughed, turning on the aircon to stop the place feeling sticky. 'And I thought our last hotel was nice.'

Another pro about our hotel was the recording studio, which the band and I spent a few hours rehearsing in, preparing for the performance at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel the following week. That night, Nathan decided that he wanted to take me on a date, leaving our friends to a wild night out in San Antonio.

'You look beautiful.' Nathan told me when I emerged from the bathroom in a light turquoise maxi dress with v-neck and cut out sides and a slit up the thigh. It was classy and sexy and I'd teamed the look with some small silver wedges and silver bangles on my wrist.

I blushed at the compliment as he took my hand in his. 'You don't look too bad yourself.' I said with a shy smile. He looked hot, as always, in his stone-coloured chinos and tight white shirt, which was unbuttoned just enough to show some of his chest. I wanted to run my hand over his chest. Desperately. And then maybe down the small snail trail under his belly button. I felt like one of the fangirls from his concert.

'Shall we go?'

'Sure.' I said, returning the smile and feeling butterflies in my stomach.

Nathan had booked us a table at a restaurant overlooking the marina. The restaurant was a converted villa, and was beautiful with mood lighting inside and out, fairylights and candles. There was a bar area with comfy sofas and then there was a dining area with tables overlooking the marina. The waitress showed us to the 'best' table, which was in a slightly quieter part of the restaurant but it still had a lovely view of the marina and the orangey sky.

'I'm Clara and I'll be your waitress today.' She said in a British accent and I realised she was probably only working here for the summer. Her eyes wandered over Nathan, looking at his muscles and I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. 'Can I get you any drinks?'

'I'll have one of your local beers.' Nathan replied.

'I'll have the same.' I smiled and with one last glance at my good-looking boyfriend, she disappeared. 'This place is lovely.' I told Nathan as he reached over the table, interlocking our fingers. 'The food smells delicious. I have no idea what to order.'

'Me neither.' Nathan said with a small smile.

'Is something up?' I asked him, suddenly feeling hot and worried. He wouldn't bring me here to break up would he? The thought made me feel sad and my heart ached, which surprised me. Had I fallen for him after promising myself I wouldn't fall in love again?

'Not at all.' He told me, his eyes sincere. 'Just wondering what I did right to deserve you.' His thumb ran over my knuckles as he spoke, sending volts of electricity through me like he somehow did with every touch. I wondered if it was a soulfinder thing but then I didn't remember every feeling that sensation when I'd been with Ed. 'Who'd have thought it, huh? It all started a dare.' He gave me a cheeky smile.

I thought back to when we'd first met, just over four months ago. I'd been upset about the photos of Ed cheating on me and I'd been dragged on a girl's night out, one which had changed my life in a big way. I had a dare to thank for the guy sat opposite me, with his bluey green eyes staring into mine. 'You waved at me first.' I pointed out, giving him a playful smile.

'I couldn't not wave at the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. I do recall you telling me to go t Specsavers, though.' He replied as the waitress we replied. She placed down our drinks and took our orders before leaving us to our romantic dinner again.

'You still need that visit to the opticians.' I replied shyly and he shook his head.

'Nope and you know you won't win this argument. I'm too damn stubborn.'

'Tell me about it. Couldn't get you to leave me alone Valentines Day or after The Weeknd's show you crazy stalker.'

'It worked though, didn't it?' He said, cheekily.

'Oh it sure did.'

Dinner was delicious and we even shared our desserts with each other as the sun completely disappeared. Despite my arguments, Nathan paid the bill and tipped the waitress, who seemed disappointed we were leaving. Probably because it meant that her evening of drooling over Nathan Jones was over.

'Shall we go for a walk?' Nathan suggested, holding his hand out to me. I took it and he pulled me to my feet, ever the gentleman.

'Sure.' I smiled as he led me out of the restaurant.

The harbour was filled with couples and friends, heading to their pre-drink destination ready for their night out in San Antonio. A few girls, in their short shorts or tiny skirts, glanced our way in recognition, but Nathan and I just smiled as we continued walking hand-in-hand along the promenade. We reached the bay and Nathan jumped off of the promenade onto the sand, before lifting me down. We both slipped off our shoes as we walked across the sandy beach, the sand still warm from the sun. Nathan paused along the beach and I looked up at him, curiously. A breeze caught my hair and he reached out, brushing it away from my face and sending a tingling sensation across my cheek. His eyes met mine, making me feel weak and the knees.

'I love you.' He said softly, his eyes locked with mine. He looked nervous as he said it but somehow I believed him.

'I love you too.' I replied, realising that I really did. His lips turned upwards into a smile and he crushed them against mine, kissing me on the beach like our lives depended on it. I was sure people passing by could see us but in that moment I didn't care.

He pulled away after a minute or so, resting his forehead against mine. 'You told me you'd never fall in love again.'

I smiled, biting my lip as I thought of the newest song I'd written, the one about him. The one he didn't know anything about. 'I guess I decided I'd give my heart a break.'

After our walk along the beach, we headed back to the hotel and enjoyed some drinks at the bar by the pool, whilst other hotel guests danced to the DJ. Everything was wonderful until the familiar dizzy feeling came on, the one that I hadn't experienced in a long time.

'I need to get back to the room.' I told Nathan quickly and he looked at me with concern. As I walked quickly to the room I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and I felt hot and nauseous. Nathan closed the door behind us and I sat down on the sofa just as everything went dark.

 _I looked up and found myself at a pool party. I looked around at the girls in bikinis and glittery make-up. We were clearly still in Ibiza. I glanced up at the 'Ocean Beach' sign as Nathan wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me on the lips._

 _'I love you.'_

 _'I love you too.' I replied, feeling giddy at the thought. I looked around for Willow and was surprised to see her joking around with Kyle by the pool bar._

 _Then the familiar bad feeling hit me as I saw a guy trying to touch a girl in a skimpy bikini. Irritated, she pulled away and walked off quickly, but then he followed her._

I found myself back in the living room with Nathan watching me, a mixture of love and concern etched onto his face.

He reached out, gently stroking my cheek. 'A vision?'

I nodded. 'When is there next a pool party at Ocean Beach?'

'Saturday I think.'

'Can we go?' I asked him. It was only two days away and I knew we'd have to get tickets.

'You in a bikini all day?' He gave me a cheeky smile. 'Absolutely.'


	23. Pool party

'So I heard Nate's got us tickets to the huge pool party tomorrow.' Lily said as we ate breakfast by the pool the following day. 'What a great idea Lucy!' I simply smiled. I'd not told anyone why we were going but I was sure something bad would happen to the girl from my vision if we didn't. I wanted to save her. To help her.

'Don't people dress really cool for those things?' Willow said, twirling her straw around in her orange juice.

'It's just a load of bikinis, right?' Aidan grinned and Lily rolled her eyes.

'For you guys maybe, you idiot. But for girls it's about fashion and style.' Lily smiled and then she looked at Willow and I. 'Fancy a trip today ladies?'

'Erm sure?' I replied although it sounded more like a question.

'Where are we going?' Daisy asked, intrigued.

'Shopping.'

'Oh great.' I groaned, looking up from my Kindle Fire tablet. Nathan shot me a questionning look so I passed him the tablet. Someone had, of course, snapped a photo of us smooching on the beach the night before, when Nathan had said those three words to me. 'Why do they have to follow us everywhere?'

'It's not a bad picture though.' Nathan smiled, cheekily, trying to lighten the mood. 'Maybe it will be my new profile picture on Facebook.'

'There's just no privacy.' I sighed.

'At least they know we're a couple now, though.' He squeezed my hand with reassurance. 'Because otherwise the rumour mill would be having a field day.' He scanned the article, reading aloud. ' _Nathan Jones and Lucy May were spotted last night having a romantic stroll across the beach in San Antonio Bay, Ibiza. They looked pretty cosy and seemed to be enjoying each other's company. The couple met earlier this year._ See, that's it so don't worry, okay?' I felt relaxed all of a sudden and I shot him a wary look. He grinned at me in response and I knew I was going to have to get used to it. It was part of being famous.

An hour later and we were driving across the island for Es Cana, watching the beautiful landscapes and small Spanish towns and hamlets go by. Lily was beautiful and cute with her petite figure and she was lovely. It made me wonder how she was friends with a group of all-guys and none of them wanted to date her. So it seemed, anyway. The drive took half an hour to reach the other side of the island and Lily parked the Fiat 500 as we all got out of the car.

'It's so nice having some girls to hang with.' Lily told us as she locked the car and we headed towards the sign marked ' _Hippy Market_.' 'This is my second time in Ibiza now and last time the guys wouldn't let me come here. It's supposed to be awesome.'

The hippy market was already busy with locals and tourists, buzzing around with bags full of gifts, but I didn't mind. Music and street performers were entertaining and the air smelt of lots of different foods being cooked. Willow gave me an excited grin. We walked around the stalls together, pausing to buy souvenirs, necklaces and any other things we came along that interested us. Daisy and Lily bought kaftans, whilst Willow and I bought kimonos, all items unique in their own way.

'I can't believe just how colourful this place is.' Willow said as we sat down on some brightly-coloured cushions whilst eating paella for lunch.

'I know, it's wonderful!' Lily grinned.

'Definitely spent too much money but never mind.' Daisy laughed. 'At least we're getting paid for Ibiza Rocks on Thursday.'

We'd not even been in Ibiza a week yet and I couldn't help but think how much had been crammed in. I promised myself that I would do some more relaxing. Then I looked over at my cousin and realised she looked sad. I shot her a questioning look and she shrugged at me in response. I promised myself I'd talk to her later.

'Well I think we're done here.' Lily said as we finished off our lunch. 'Shall we head to the beach? There's a lovely bay near here.'

She wasn't kidding. The bay was quiet and calm with its white, powdery sat and calm blue waters. It was pure paradise. I knew I had to come back to Ibiza. I was desperate too. I wasn't sure how I'd gone so long without visiting. The atmosphere was great and the beaches were incredible. My own little paradise. We spent the afternoon sunbathing, swimming in the sea and taking silly photos and I couldn't help but think that Lily fitted into our friendship group perfectly. I wasn't sure why I'd needed to worry in the first place.

I caught Willow before we went back to our rooms that evening, dragging her to a sunbed by the pool to try and work out what was going on.

She looked down at me, sadly. 'It's Scott.'

'What's happened?' I asked, my tone softening.

'He called me last night. He's been a bit distant over the last few weeks sure, but I wasn't expecting him to just give up.' Her eyes teared over. 'His ex is back in town and he still loves her. And now she's back...'

'Oh Wills.' I pulled her in for a hug, holding her tight. 'I'm sorry.' I whispered. 'I thought he was one of the good ones.'

'We always do.' She sighed. 'And then they turn out to be just like the rest.'

I thought of Nathan and sighed. I really hoped he wasn't going to be just like the rest. I really hoped that this time he was my prince charming. 'Got to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince, right?' I said, convincing Willow as much as I was convincing myself. 'Want me to come and sleep in your room tonight?'

'No, I'll be okay.' She gave me a small smile. 'Just give me time and I'll be fine.'

I felt angry when I woke up the next day. Angry with Scott. Angry with Ed. Angry with any guy that had ever messed with one of my loved ones or myself. Nathan was sleeping peacefully beside me when I woke up, and I grabbed my guitar and songbook, and stepped out onto the balcony, closing the door behind me.

The lyrics came pouring into my head and I pressed record on my phone as I started to sing.

 _'You told me on a Sunday_

 _That it wasn't gonna work_

 _I tried to cry myself to sleep_

 _'Cause it was supposed to hurt_

 _We sat next to the fire_

 _As the flame was burning out_

 _I knew what you were thinking_

 _Before you'd say it aloud_

 _Don't say you're sorry, 'cause I'm not even breaking_

 _You're not worth the time that this is taking_

 _I knew better than to let you break my heart_

 _This soul you'll never see again, won't be showing scars_

 _You still love her I can see it in your eyes_

 _The truth is all that I can hear_

 _Every time you lie.'_

'So I'm hoping that's not about me.' Nathan's voice startled me and I turned off the recording feature on my phone, turning to face him. He was leaning against the door-frame, arms folded across his tanned, bare chest.

I blushed. 'It's not about you. You've not broken Willow's heart. Or mine.'

'And I won't.' He said softly, moving to sit on the chair beside me. He leaned over and kissed my forehead. 'What's happened with Willow?'

'Scott broke up with her because his ex came back to town.'

His forehead creased. 'Why are most of my gender such idiots, really? They make the rest of us look bad. Is she okay?'

'She will be.' I sighed. 'I just wish guys would stop hurting her. She's incredible.'

'Just like her cousin then.' He smiled, pulling me in for a kiss.

For the beach party that afternoon, I moved to get ready with Lily and Willow in their room, and Daisy did the same. As we got ready for the party, I felt bad that Leanne and Adriana weren't there. They would have loved Ibiza. I made a mental note to send them a message later on. Lily plugged her iPod into the docking station, blasting the room with music as we got ready, fighting over the mirrors.

'Now I remember why I'm not friends with many girls.' She laughed as she watched Willow and I battling for the full-length mirror. 'You have to share mirrors. Saying that though, Kyle and Nate can be pretty bad for arguing over mirrors too.'

'I've not seen that side of Nate yet.' I laughed and Lily smirked at me as she pulled her new hippy-style kaftan over her bikini. I glanced in the mirror at my outfit. I was wearing my white bikini from the photoshoot (now that I knew it didn't go see-through) with a white lace off-shoulder kaftan over the top. Daisy had gone for a black cut-out swimsuit and a red kimono and Willow looked cute in her floral bikini with floor-length cream kimono, showing off her newly tanned skin. We all had flowers in our hair and our make-up was natural and waterproof, thankfully.

'Okay, we're in Ibiza so we need some face-paint or sparkle!' Daisy pulled out a make-up set. 'Who's in?'

Half an hour later and we were ready. Daisy had glittery dots moving across her forehead, just above her eyebrows, with a sparkly moon in the centre. Lily had glitter down the right side of her face. Willow had swirly face-pain coming out from the corner of each eye and then I had white flowers with gold glittery centres, down the side of my right cheek and then across my collar bone. We were ready to party.

Aidan and Kyle wolf-whistled in unison as we met them by the pool and Lily rolled her eyes, tutting and them. Nathan kissed me on the cheek free of face-paint and spoke into my head, _You're so gorgeous_. It made me smile until I saw the nervous look on Willow's face. Nathan nodded, giving me permission to keep her company, so I linked arms with her and we walked down to Ocean Beach together.

'So this is completely mental!' Daisy gasped as we reached the poolside. Acrobats were hanging in the sky from harnesses and it was pretty crazy. Orange and white balloons were everywhere and so were the partygoers; girls in tiny bikinis or cut out swimsuits and guys in shorts or swimming trunks. We were led to our own reserved area, with comfy sunbeds with built in lockers underneath. There were ten sunbeds pushed together, creating an almost semi-circle due to the weird shape of them. A member of staff took our drink orders and then disappeared, leaving us to get settled.

'I'm with you there, Daisy. It is mental.' I replied, looking around as over one hundred people danced to the music, in the pool and on the ground. So far, we were unrecognised, which was good. I didn't want a whole day of being stared at, especially when I was wearing a tiny white bikini. An unfamiliar remix of _Heart attack_ blared out of the speakers and I groaned, making everyone laugh.

'It's your song!' Lily chuckled, lounging on the sunbed she had claimed with her towel.

'I know, but it's cringey hearing my voice.' I shuddered at the thought and Nathan grinned, planting a kiss on my shoulder.

'I love your voice.' He whispered in my ear, sending goosebumps across my body. 'And I love you.'

I turned to him so that I could see his cute face; his scruffy hair that I liked to run my fingers through when we kissed, the stubble around his mouth and on his chin, his soft lips, his beautiful eyes I could get lost in. 'I love you too.'

We spent some time lounging about, eating lunch on the loungers and drinking our beers and cocktails and then Jesse headed off to find some girls to dance with, and Daisy and Jake headed off together to goodness knows where. Lily and Aidan were dancing by the sunbed, but they stopped when the intro of _Budapest_ started to play, but a remix version.

'How can they even remix this?!' Nathan groaned and I laughed.

'I love your voice.' I told him, teasing him and he glared at me, playfully.

'You'd better watch your back!' He called out, reaching over to me but I jumped up off of my sunlounger. He hurried after me and I ran through the crowds to get away from him but he grabbed my waist, pulling me against him. 'Nice try.' He whispered as we stood by the pool. I knew what he was going to do before it happened. He scooped me into his arms and threw me into the pool. I grabbed my sunglasses just in time as I hit the water. He stood on the side of the pool, grinning cockily as I pushed my hair out of my face, glad that the make-up and face paint I was wearing was waterproof.

'Now you'd better watch your back.' I told him as I reached the pool edge. He held out a hand to help me up but I pulled him in, sending him over the top of me. He surfaced the water, catching his sunglasses as they started to float away. He slipped them back onto his face, concealing his identity, and he grinned.

'It's just as well I love you.'

I smiled as he pulled me towards him. 'Isn't it just?'

After another drink, I was feeling ready to dance and luckily the tunes booming out weren't mine or Nathan's and they were the kind of songs I was used to dancing to. I tapped my fingers against the sunbed in time to the songs, as the DJ mixed the songs together, blending them perfectly.

 _'This hit_

 _That ice cold_

 _Michelle Pfeiffer_

 _That white gold.'_

Willow glanced at me with a huge grin on her face. I knew she loved this song. A lot.

 _'This one, for them hood girls_

 _Them good girls_

 _Straight masterpieces.'_

She held out her hand for me and I knew it was a must. She pulled me to my feet, joining where Daisy and Aidan were already dancing.

 _'Stylin', while in_

 _Livin' it up in the city_

 _Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent_

 _Got kiss myself I'm so pretty.'_

We made up our own almost-dance routine, shaking our hips and moving our bodies in time to the music.

 _'I'm too hot (hot damn)_

 _Called a police and a fireman_

 _I'm too hot (hot damn)_

 _Make a dragon wanna retire man_

 _I'm too hot (hot damn)_

 _Say my name you know who I am_

 _I'm too hot (hot damn)_

 _Am I bad 'bout that money_

 _Break it down.'_

It felt weird dancing in a bikini, wearing so little, but soon I got used to it, either because everyone was doing it or because the drinks were flowing.

Nathan walked over to me, a smile on his face. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I felt deja-vu as I remembered this moment from my vision. Willow was laughing at the bar with Kyle, getting the next round of drinks in. And then the bad feeling in my gut kicked in. Nathan shot me a puzzled look and I spotted the girl with the very curly blonde hair trying to get away from the dark-haired guy with the baggy swimming trunks on. He reached out and touched her and she slapped his hand away, clearly irritated. She pulled away from him and stormed off, only to have him follow her.

'I'm just going to the bathroom.' I told Nathan, although I wasn't sure he believed me. I left his arms and followed the guy, cautiously. The girl hurried, disappearing down an alleyway and I groaned, inwardly. Why were girls always running into alleyways? It happened in films too. And then something bad happened. She'd have been better off staying in a public place and asking for help. Nonetheless, I kept close, glad that I'd grabbed Nathan's shirt from the poolside as it covered me slightly.

'Go away you jackass!' I heard the girl said as I reached the corner of the building they'd disappeared behind. 'I've already told you, Mark, it's _over._ '

I watched from the corner of the building as the guy reached out to touch her face and she cringed under his touch. 'But we have something special Tori.'

Tori. I knew I'd recognised her. She was the girl who had just been signed to Ed's label. God damn it, why was I always saving the girls he was a manager for? Mark moved closer to her , reaching for her hips and she tried to push him off but wasn't strong enough.

'Please just go away.' She said, her American accent shaking and I knew then that she was crying. She was scared. The situation reminded me of mine and Rich's and it made me shudder.

'She told you to back off, dickhead.' I said, stepping out from behind the building before I could stop myself. I just wished someone had been there for me like this.

'And who the hell are you?' Mark hissed at me. 'Run back to the party now.'

'Not until you've backed off.' I said, folding my arms across my chest.

'This has nothing to do with you.' Mark hissed whilst Tori looked at me, her eyes scared. He turned back to her, reaching for her breast. Acting on adrenaline, I crashed into him, knocking him to the floor, which surprised me really. Maybe going to the gym had done wonders for my strength.

I turned to Tori. 'Go, get security!' She nodded, mutely, and ran off.

'Who are you?' Mark said, glaring at me as he got off the floor.

'It doesn't matter, the point is you need to _stop_ treating women like shit.'

He reached for my waist and I tried to push him backwards, but he held me in place. 'Don't you dare speak to me like that. You have no idea who you're dealing with.'

'Neither do you.' I swung my first, punching him in the nose.

'Christ!' He yelped, staggering backwards and holding the bleeding nose that may have been broken.

'Oh my god!' Tori's voice called out and I turned to see she was stood there with Ed and two security guards.

'Lucy.' Ed nodded. 'We have to stop meeting like this.'

I rolled my eyes at his attempt to be funny and took off my sunglasses, tucking them on top of my head.

'Lucy!' Nathan's voice called out as he sprinted around the corner of the building and stopped behind Ed, Tori and security. 'What the hell just happened?'

'Oh my god, you're Lucy May.' Tori gasped, her eyes widening. She looked at Ed and then glanced over her shoulder at Nathan. Then she ran over to me, throwing her arms around me whilst the security guys each grabbed one of Mark's arms. 'Thank you! Thank you _so_ much! I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there.'

I pulled back from the hug. 'It's okay, really.'

'Ed, she s _aved_ me.' Tori said, her eyes watering as she spoke to her manager and my ex.

'She's got a habit of doing that.' He replied with a small smile as Nathan pushed past him, pulling me into a hug.

'Thank god you're okay.' Nathan said. 'I saw the security and I worried something had happened. I guess you can look after yourself though, huh?' He gave me a playful grin and I didn't miss the irritated and jealous expression on Ed's face as he rubbed Tori's shoulder, reassuringly.

'We'll call the police.' One of the security guards said. 'But you're both going to need to make a statement.'

The police didn't take long to show up and they arrested Mark for harassment. He didn't have a broken nose, unfortunately, but they'd taken my statement and congratulated me for my bravery. Or so the Spanish-English interpreter had said. Tori had thanked me over and over, but thankfully Ed had made himself sparse to avoid awkwardness. The pool party finished soon after, so we headed back to the hotel, most of our friends drunk. After a shower, I changed into denim shorts, a tank top and a baggy cardigan, and joined my friends where they were sat by the pool in the dark.

'Hey.' Nathan said as I sat down beside him. 'Feeling better?'

I'd needed a shower, just to get the feeling of Mark's grubby hands off of me. 'Yep.' I said with a smile. I looked over at the sunbed next to us, where Willow was laughing at whatever Kyle had said. 'They've been pretty cosy today.'

'They have.' Nathan said, flashing me his signature smile. 'He's going to give her some time, though. Time works a charm. I'd know.' He planted a kiss on my forehead and I smiled. 'Next time you want to beat up some crazy guy though please do let me know.'

'Sorry.' I apologised, looking down at my fingers, which were intertwined with his.

'You don't need to apologise. What you did was brave.' He lifted my chin with his finger. 'I just don't want to lose you.'

I looked into his beautiful eyes and made a promise I intended to keep. 'You won't.'

The next few days were fairly relaxed and were spent chilling by our pool and rehearsing for my concert, and then going out for dinner and sometimes drinks after in the evenings. Everyone was getting on great and I was now a lot more relaxed around Nathan's friends. It was like we'd known each other for years.

'Kyle wants to take me out for the day.' Willow told me the following Wednesday morning, as we ate breakfast, the day before my big concert at Ibiza Rocks.

I looked at her, surprised. Originally we'd planned to head down to the beach together for a change of scenery. 'And do you want to?'

She looked thoughtful for a moment. 'I think so. Does that make me a bad person?'

'Of course not.' I said, squeezing her arm. 'Scott was a complete jerk. Besides you and Kyle are just hanging out as friends. Nothing wrong with that.'

'You and I had plans today.' She said, apologetically.

'So we'll reschedule.' I gave her a reassuring smile. 'You go and enjoy yourself.'

'Good morning.' Eric said, his voice monotone as he walked out onto the terrace where I was just finishing my fruit salad. He hadn't yet stepped foot in my hotel and him being there surprised me.

'Morning.' I replied, cheerily, determined not to let him ruin my mood. Eric glanced over at Willow and she nodded at him, standing up.

'Would you get Nathan out here?' Eric asked my cousin and she nodded, disappearing.

'Why do you need Nathan?' I asked him, uncertainly.

'I've come up with a brilliant idea!'

'Erm... right.' I replied, unconvinced.

'So are you all set for the show tomorrow?' Eric asked, cracking his knuckles.

'Yes.' I nodded. 'The set you wanted is all good to go.'

'Is there room for another song?'

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, opening up the set on my Kindle Fire, where I'd saved it in my e-mails.

 _Heart attack_

 _Made in the USA_

 _The Middle_

 _Party_

 _22 (Taylor Swift cover)_

 _Give your Heart a Break_

 _Skyscraper_

'Erm I guess there might be a bit of room? I've got the seven that you suggested.'

'Hey Eric.' Nathan said, shaking my manager's hand and sitting down beside me. He gave me a cute smile and squeezed my knee.

'Nathan.' My manager nodded. 'Now, due to the popularity of _Love me Harder_ it would be silly for you not to perform it tomorrow, Lucy.'

'I can sing it, sure.' I replied with a half-smile. It wouldn't be the same as a solo, but I could do it.

'That's where you come in.' He turned to Nathan. 'I've spoken to your manager already and I have permission from The Weeknd. I'd like _you_ to duet with Lucy.' My eyes widened in surprise and Eric continued. 'Everyone is begging for you two to sing a duet and at some point you'll have to write one, but for now, this would be a great opportunity.'

 _Little does he know we already have a duet,_ Nathan said in my head, smugly, and I nudged his foot with mine. 'Sure I don't see why not.' Nathan said aloud, turning to face me. 'It could be cool.'

'Great. Well you're going to have to rehearse with the band. There's no official soundtrack tomorrow as for some stupid reason they can't close off the pool area until the concert so you're going to have to be ready.' Eric said. He turned to face me, the familiar unimpressed look on his face. 'Can I trust you to be ready?'

'Of course.'

'Good.'

The rest of the day was spent rehearsing, over and over until I was sick of the songs, although I couldn't help thinking how nice it was to sing with Nathan, even if it was a sexual song. The thought made me nervous. We hadn't done anything like that yet, even though we'd shared a bed most nights. I'd thought about it. More than once. But the thought made me feel nervous. After all, Ed and I had slept together and then everything had gone wrong. He'd run off with his model ex-girlfriend and slept with her too. And then when we'd broken up, he'd slept with even more people. The thought made me shudder. After rehearsals, Nathan took me out on a jetski, which was great fun and it cleared my head a little. Then we headed back to the hotel, sat round the pool having an evening jam-session with our friends.

 _'I said maybe_

 _You're gonna be the one that saves me_

 _And after all_

 _You're my wonderwall_

 _I said maybe_

 _You're gonna be the one that saves me_

 _You're gonna be the one that saves me_

 _You're gonna be the one that saves me.'_ Jake finished his duet with Daisy and we all applauded them, Willow and I cheering probably too loudly.

'Over to you, mate.' Aidan nodded at Nathan, who was sat with his guitar on his lap.

 _Then you'd better help me out,_ Nathan said into my head, his eyes meeting mine.

I swallowed, _it had better be a song I know then._

Nathan strummed at his guitar, a familiar melody.

 _'Woah-oh-oh-oh_

 _It's always a good time._

 _Woke up on the right side of the bed_

 _What's up with this Prince song inside my head?_

 _Hands up if you're down to get down tonight_

 _Cuz it's always a good time._

 _Slept in all my clothes like I didn't care_

 _Hopped into a cab, take me anywhere_

 _I'm in if you're down to get down tonight_

 _Cuz it's always a good time.'_

I took a deep breath as Nathan winked at me, signalling it was my time to take over. _'Good morning and good night_

 _I wake up at twilight_

 _It's gonna be alright.'_

 _'We don't even have to try_

 _It's always a good time.'_

As usual, our voices blended together to create the perfect harmony, complimenting each other as we sang. _'Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh_

 _It's always a good time_

 _Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh_

 _We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.'_

I smiled as I sang, tapping my feet along to the beat. _'Checked out of my room hit the ATM_

 _Let's hang out if you're down to get down tonight_

 _Cuz it's always a good time.'_

 _'Good morning and good night.'_

 _'I wake up at twilight_

 _It's gonna be alright_.' I held the note as Nathan continued.

 _'We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.'_

 _'Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh_

 _It's always a good time_

 _Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh_

 _We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.'_

Nathan shot me a cheeky smile and I wondered how he was always able to do that when he sang. _'Doesn't matter when, it's always a good time there.'_

 _'Doesn't matter where_

 _It's always a good time there.'_ I sang, running my hand through my fringe.

Our voices blended together once more and I wasn't surprised when I looked up to see some guests gawping at us. Oops. ' _Doesn't matter when,_

 _It's always a good time then._

 _It's always a good time_

 _Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh_

 _It's always a good time_

 _Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh_

 _We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.'_

Our friends joined in for the last chorus and I smiled as they all sang along, surprisingly all pitch-perfect. It sounded awesome. _'Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh_

 _It's always a good time_

 _Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh_

 _We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.'_

The guests watching us cheered and applauded and Nathan and I gave our own little cheers to our friends as a fantastic idea filled my mind. 'So I think I know what I want to do for my 'cover of the week' tomorrow.'

The following morning, we moved the instruments outside and recorded the 'Good Time' cover, all of our friends included, whether they were playing instruments or dancing until the last chorus, when they all joined in. I uploaded it straight away, happily. It was my favourite cover yet. Then the band and I headed into the recording studio, rehearsing the set list one last time before the concert. There was a knock on the door just as we finished and I wondered who on earth would be knocking. Nathan, Lily, Aidan, Kyle and Willow usually walked right on in. But then most of them had gone into town for lunch...

'Hello?' I called out and the door opened, causing me to nearly drop my guitar on the floor. Thank goodness for my guitar strap. 'Oh my god!' I shrieked at the sight of Amanda, Leanne and Adriana stood in the doorway. I put down my guitar, probably harder than I should have, and rushed over to the doorway, pulling them into a group hug. 'What are you all doing here?!'

'We may have lied about not being able to get time off.' Leanne said to me. 'And Ad and I wanted it to be a surprise. We wouldn't miss your first ever show in Ibiza.'

'And I was always going to come, I just didn't tell you. Couldn't have someone else styling you, could we?' Amanda chuckled.

'I'm so glad you're here!' I told them, a huge and idiotic grin on my face. 'Where are you guys staying?'

'Here. Not in a suite, mind, they were pricey but we've got a room together so we can crash out easily after your fancy after party later.' Adriana winked. 'A long weekend in Ibiza was a perfect break from work.'

'And a perfect surprise.' I told them, excited. 'Thank you.'

I spent the day chilling by the pool with my friends and, before long, it was time to get ready for the concert. As Nathan and I had the biggest room, being a suite, he gave it up and allowed it to be taken over by girls, heading to join the guys instead. There was nothing I wanted more than some time with my girls, including Lily, the newest member of the posse. She naturally blended right in, helping everyone with their hair and make-up whilst Amanda gave me my show make-over.

'So how was the swimwear shoot you were stressing about?' Leanne asked as she blew her nails dry.

'She looked gorgeous, so there was nothing to moan about really.' Willow laughed, rolling her eyes at me whilst Lily straightened her hair.

'Girl, you're always smokin' hot whether you believe it or not. There has to be _some_ reason guys are lining up waiting to date you.' Adriana winked and I kicked her gently, glad she was within foot distance. 'Hey! It's true! I'm sure Nathan thinks it too.'

'Oh he does.' Lily nodded. 'You should see the way he looks at her.'

I blushed. 'Girls can we stop talking about me like I'm not here because _hello_ I am.'

Amanda stood back, checking my curled hair was even. She nodded, satisfied, and then started on my foundation. 'Oh, actually Luce, I was going to ask you something.'

I raised an eyebrow and she tutted, so I relaxed my face again. 'What were you going to ask me?'

'Will you be my head bridesmaid?' I looked at her in surprise and she tutted again. 'I can't apply your make-up when you're doing that.'

'You want me to be your head bridesmaid?' I checked with her, uncertain.

'Of course. You're one of my best friends and one of my only female friends. I know you're busy and all but-'

'Of course I'll be your head bridesmaid.' I smiled.

'Hey, at least the dresses will be decent, you know that much.' Leanne laughed from behind me. She was right about that.

'Thank you so much. This means the world to me.' Amanda smiled. 'Now close your eyes and stop moving your face before you drive me crazy.'

Half an hour later and we were all ready for the concert. Amanda had given me my usual make-up look of silvery eyeshadow, darker in the outside corners, winged eyeliner and a subtle lipstick that made my lips plumper. I was wearing a black bralet-shaped crop top, which had pink flowers on it, with a pink mini skater skirt and black wedges, the music note necklace Nathan had given me round my neck. It was cute, but sexy at the same time, and I hoped that my boyfriend would like it. After all, I would be performing with him. And it wasn't a cheesey Carly Rae Jepsen classic this time. The thought made me blush and I glanced up to see Leanne looking at me, warily.

'You surprise me.' She whispered as we walked through the hotel to the cars waiting for us outside to take us to Ibiza Rocks.

'I do?' I raised an eyebrow at her.

'I can't believe that you and Nathan haven't-'

'Woah, shhh.' I hissed, signalling to the friends around us. 'There's at least two people here that probably don't want to hear that. Besides, I'm offended that you're surprised.'

'I'm surprised because he's Nathan Jones. He's a god.'

I elbowed her. 'One day, maybe, you might stop making inappropriate comments about my boyfriends.'

'I took the poster down if it helps. And the Ed one has darts in it.'

I laughed. 'Why on earth am I friends with you?'

'I ask myself that on a daily basis.' Adriana said, butting into the conversation. 'Now come on hottie, let's roll.'

We arrived at Ibiza Rocks early, and the patio behind the stage was sectionned off, being made into a makeshift backstage area. The girls hung backstage with me for a bit and then they left the band and I to it, leaving us to sing our vocal warm-ups and check the instruments were okay. Then it was almost showtime.

 _Wow, I'm still the luckiest guy in the world._ Nathan's voice filled my mind and I turned around to see him watching me, his signature smile on his face, his eyes locked onto mine with that look that just made me want to kiss him over and over. He looked hot too, in his skinny jeans and a tank top, that made me want to just drool at his muscles. I felt myself blush and I bit my lip. I wanted to do more than kiss him.

A tech guy came over, attaching my ear piece and I quickly switched my thoughts to something more appropriate. A microphone was handed to me and I knew it was nearly show time.

'Good luck.' Nathan said to me as his eyes rolled over my body, from my eyes, down to my legs and then back up again. He smiled at me as his eyes locked with mine again, an intense look in them.

'Are you watching the show?'

'Yep, going to watch with the guys.' He said with a smile. Love Me Harder was the final song, so he had time to.

'Well I hope everyone likes it.' I said, nervously.

'They will.' He kissed me on the forehead and then he was gone.

'Right band, you're on!' Eric announced. Daisy, Jake and Jesse high-fived me before disappearing onto the stage. I took a deep breath and then it was showtime.

The crowd were incredible and I was glad Eric had chosen upbeat songs, because the crowd sang along and danced around, excitedly. I lost myself completely in the music, until it reached a song I was nervous about. The one I'd written recently about Nathan. I took a swig of my water and walked back to the front of the stage.

'I hope you don't mind Ibiza, but I'd like to try out something a bit different.' It was different because it involved Jake on the keyboard and not on the base. And it wasn't my usual style. 'This song is a new one, I hope you like it.'

Jake started up the intro and I sucked in a breath as I looked out at the crowd, some who were drunk and some who were sober. Either way, I really hoped everyone liked it. I spotted Nathan at the back of the crowd with everyone else and the thought made me nervous. He was the one that really mattered.

I closed my eyes as I started to sing, _'The day I first met you_

 _You told me you'd never fall in love_

 _But now that I get you_

 _I know fear is what it really was._

 _Now here we are,_

 _So close yet so far._

 _Haven't I passed the test?_

 _When will you realize,_

 _Baby, I'm not like the rest?_

 _Don't wanna break your heart_

 _Wanna give your heart a break_

 _I know you're scared it's wrong_

 _Like you might make a mistake_

 _There's just one life to live_

 _And there's no time to wait, to wait_

 _So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break_

 _Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break_

 _There's just so much you can take_

 _Give your heart a break_

 _Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break_

 _Oh yeah, yeah.'_

I opened my eyes and saw the crowd dancing and they cheered. Then my eyes met Nathan's and he smiled, his smile reaching his sparkling eyes. Had he realised the song was about him? That some of the lyrics were phrases he'd said to me over and over?

' _On Sunday you went home alone_

 _There were tears in your eyes_

 _I called your cell phone, my love_

 _But you did not reply.'_

I walked across the stage in time to the music as I continued to sing,

 _'The world is ours. If we want it,_

 _We can take it if you just take my hand._

 _There's no turning back now._

 _Baby, try to understand.'_

Jesse came back in with the drums for the chorus and I danced as I sang, moving in time to the beat. _'Don't wanna break your heart_

 _Wanna give your heart a break_

 _I know you're scared it's wrong_

 _Like you might make a mistake_

 _There's just one life to live_

 _And there's no time to wait, to wait_

 _So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break_

 _Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break_

 _There's just so much you can take_

 _Give your heart a break_

 _Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break_

 _Oh yeah, yeah.'_

I stopped, standing still as the lighting changed to a spotlight on me as I sang the bridge.

 _'When your lips are on my lips_

 _Then our hearts beat as one_

 _But you slip out of my fingertips_

 _Every time you run, whoa-oh-whoa-oh-oh.'_

The lights came back on and people in the front row started to clap as they danced to the song.

 _'Don't wanna break your heart_

 _Wanna give your heart a break_

 _I know you're scared it's wrong_

 _Like you might make a mistake_

 _There's just one life to live_

 _And there's no time to wait, to wait_

 _So let me give your heart a break_

 _'Cause you've been hurt before_

 _I can see it in your eyes_

 _You try to smile it away, some things you can't disguise_

 _Don't wanna break your heart_

 _Baby, I can ease the ache, the ache_

 _So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break_

 _Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break_

 _There's just so much you can take_

 _Give your heart a break_

 _Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break_

 _Oh yeah, yeah_

 _The day I first met you_

 _You told me you'd never fall in love.'_

The crowd burst into applause, clapping and cheering, some even wolf-whistling. I felt breathless as I took my microphone. 'Thank you so much.' And then it was time to slow things down, with Skyscraper. Nathan disappeared and I realised he was getting ready for our performance together. The thought made me nervous as I sang the single that was still in the Top 40 in the charts, months after its release.

I didn't announce that Nathan was going to join me for 'Love me harder', but I knew that a lot of the crowd thought that I was going to surprise them with Abel walking out onstage to join me.

 _'I know your motives and you know mine.'_ The crowd roared as Nathan stepped out onto the stage and girls screamed hysterically. I could have done that too as he sang, his eyes not once leaving mine. _'The ones that love me, I tend to leave behind_

 _If you know about me and choose to stay_

 _Then take this pleasure and take it with the pain.'_

His voice was so different to Abel's, but somehow it suited it. As he walked towards me, I realised that I was supposed to be dancing, not stood like a gawping idiot.

 _'And if in the moment you bite your lip_

 _When I get you moaning you know it's real_

 _Can you feel the pressure between your hips?_

 _I'll make it feel like the first time.'_ Nathan reached me as he sang and we stood together, facing each other as we sang the chorus.

 _'Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder (I'm a love you harder)_

 _And if you really need me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder (love me harder)_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Love me, love me, love me,_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Harder, harder, harder,_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Love me, love me, love me,_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Harder, harder, harder.'_

 _'So what do I do if I can't figure it out?'_ Nathan reached out, placing his hand on my waist and I suddenly wished we'd rehearsed it with steps because I was worried I was going to make an idiot of myself.

 _'You got to try, try, try again, yeah.'_ He reached out to my cheek and I swallowed.

 _'So what do I do if I can't figure it out?'_

I turned around, hoping it wasn't obvious to the audience that my cheeks were flushed. _'I'm gonna leave, leave, leave again.'_

I walked around Nathan as we sang the chorus together, so that we were stood singing back-to-back as I had done with Abel before. _'Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder_

 _And if you really need me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder_

 _Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder (love me harder)_

 _And if you really need me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder.'_

I walked around to the other side of Nathan and he surprised me by catching my hand in his, pulling me in towards him, one of his common dance moves.

 _'Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Love me, love me, love me,_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Harder, harder, harder._

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Love me, love me, love me_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh,_

 _Harder, harder, harder.'_

Nathan leant me backwards, his face close to mine as the song ended and the stage fireworks went off, marking the end of the performance. I breathed quickly as he held me there, his eyes looking deep into mine, and then, when I was just about to kiss him, he pulled me back up onto my feet. 'Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Lucy May!' He said into his microphone whilst I snapped back into reality. The crowd cheered.

'And give it up for my special guest, Nathan Jones.' I said into the microphone, causing hysterical screams. 'Thank you so much! And goodnight!' I walked off of the stage after I'd taken my bow with my band, pulling out my uncomfortable ear piece straight away.

'Nice work.' Eric nodded and I could have sworn it was a compliment. 'Enjoy the rest of your night.' And then he was gone.

I pulled my band into a group hug. 'Thanks guys, you rocked and we totally rocked Ibiza!'

'Yes you did.' Nathan said with a smile, appearing beside us. 'Nice new song, huh? I guess you had some inspiration.'

'I guess I did.' I replied with a playful smile. I leaned forwards to kiss him but then...

'EEEE! YOU WERE GREAT!' Cue hysterical screams and being attacked for a group hug by Leanne, Adriana, Amanda and Willow. Way to ruin my kiss with Nathan. I frowned and he smirked as they smothered me with hugs.

'Can't breathe guys.' I gasped and they released me.

'Everyone totally loved it.' Willow grinned.

'I'm so glad we didn't miss out!' Adriana said, running a hand through her perfectly straight hair.

'Me too.' I smiled up at them. It wouldn't have been the same without them.

'So your performance with Nathan was pretty heated.' Leanne commented with a smirk as we were driven back to the hotel. I was relieved it was only Amanda, Willow, Daisy, Adriana and I in the car with that kind of comment. My cheeks blushed crimson.

'Yeah I'm not sure how your mum and dad will feel about that.' Willow chuckled. 'I'm guessing they've still not watched the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show?'

'Of course not! They were mortified by the thought but then I was too!' I sighed, shaking my head.

'You're twenty-three years old.' Adriana commented.

'But I'm still their baby girl.' I replied, shaking my head.

'They think she's still a virgin.' Willow added and I glared at her. Some things didn't need to be said. 'What? It's true.'

'Boy are they wrong.' Leanne whistled.

'Right, please can we change the conversation now?' I said, feeling frustrated, and not the kind of frustrated Nathan was making me feel. The car stopped and I felt relieved. 'Okay guys, so no more of this? It's a party. Get drunk and go crazy.'

'We're good at that.' Adriana grinned.

'I know.' I sighed. 'First round's on me.'

The afterparty had already started when we arrived and guests were dancing to the music, drinks in hands. The party was open to the other guests, but also to the public, those who were willing to fork out the money for a ticket. I was surprised, when we walked out onto the patio, to see that Tori was there, in a black playsuit, her crazily curly blonde hair styled as normal.

'Hey.' She said to me in her Californian accent.

'Hey.' I replied with a smile, looking around, warily.

'Don't worry, Ed isn't here.' She replied and I instantly relaxed. 'I wanted to thank you in person without any of the awkwardness.'

'Really, like I said the other day, it's no problem.'

'Luce, I thought you were buying our first round?' Leanne appeared behind me and then glanced at Tori with recognition. 'Oh hi, Tori, right?' She glanced around for Ed.

'He's not here.' She laughed.

'Thank god because I don't know if I could resist punching him.' Leanne said and I stifled a laugh. She turned back to me. 'But you did promise to get me drunk.'

'Tori, would you like a drink?' I offered.

'I'm okay thanks.' Tori said, holding up her drink. 'I'll catch you later.'

'So I did hear that you're Wonderwoman now. Punching douchebags? Way to go, but just be careful.' Leanne warned as we walked over to the bar where the rest of the girls were stood.

'Don't worry, I'm not about to become a superhero. I've not got the boobs for Wonderwoman anyway.'

By midnight, I'd been tipsy and I was sobering up, and soon it was nearing 1am, when there was a curfew. I'd spent most of the night dancing and laughing with my friends, so I headed on over to my gorgeous boyfriend, who had stopped posing for pictures with fans (I'd done the same). He gave me a cute smile and greeted me with a kiss on the nose.

'Hey princess.' He smiled.

'I'm surprised you've not been kidnapped.' I laughed, signalling over to where a group of girls were stood, watching him in a way that they thought was subtle. It wasn't.

'Oh but you see, I kept telling them how wonderful my girlfriend was and it scared them off.' He said with a playful grin, pulling me in for a kiss. I smiled as he pulled back. 'Have you had a good evening? I'm surprised you're not drunk.' He looked over to where Adriana and Leanne were dancing wildly.

'I was a bit tipsy but I've sobered up now. Must have been the midnight snack.' I watched as Amanda and Willow started doing the Macarena to the song that was currently playing; Shake it Off by Taylor Swift. 'It's probably just as well I'm sober though or I'd be dancing like _that._ '

'They're having fun.' Nathan chuckled as the song ended.

'Okay time for our final song so get on the dancefloor.' The DJ announced and the crowd groaned before cheering as the song started.

 _'Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on_

 _You got the healing that I want_

 _Just like they say it in the song_

 _Until the dawn, let's Marvin Gaye and get it on.'_

'So are you too sober to dance?' Nathan asked with a raised eyebrow.

'Nope.' I blushed and he grabbed my hand, leading me to where people had congregated by the pool.

 _'We got this king size to ourselves_

 _Don't have to share with no one else.'_

He positioned his hands as usual, one holding my hand and the other in the small of my back, gently moving me in time to the music.

 _'Don't keep your secrets to yourself_

 _It's kama sutra show and tell._

 _Woah_

 _There's loving in your eyes_

 _That pulls me closer_

 _It's so subtle_

 _I'm in trouble_

 _But I'd love to be in trouble with you.'_

Nathan sang the chorus, his eyes locked in mine and his forehead resting against mine. _'Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on_

 _You got the healing that I want_

 _Just like they say it in the song_

 _Until the dawn, let's Marvin Gaye and get it on.'_

He pulled me closer and I took a deep breath and his body moved against mine, my cheeks reddening.

 _'You got to give it up to me_

 _I'm screaming mercy, mercy please_

 _Just like they say it in the song_

 _Until the dawn, let's Marvin Gaye and get it on.'_

He moved us around the dancefloor, stepping in time to the music as we found a new space whilst Meghan Trainor's vocals filled the air.

 _'And when you leave me all alone_

 _I'm like a stray without a home_

 _I'm like a dog without a bone_

 _I just want you for my own_

 _I got to have you babe_

 _Woah_

 _There's loving in your eyes_

 _That pulls me closer_

 _It's so subtle_

 _I'm in trouble_

 _But I'd love to be in trouble with you.'_

Dancing with him was not making the feelings from earlier go away. His eyes were filled with a lustful look I'd not seen before as his hands ran over my body as we danced together, our bodies close. I just hoped everyone else was too drunk to be paying attention. The song ended and Nathan leaned his head towards mine.

'Ugh, I can't believe the party's over already!' Leanne said dramatically, grabbing my arm and I groaned. I hated drunk Leanne sometimes.

I turned to face her. 'It's 1am.'

'The night is still young! Come on, let's go out into town! Aren't there places over til 6am in Ibiza?'

'I'm too tired.' Yawned Adriana. 'Come on Lea, let's go to bed.'

'Boring old farts! The lot of you!' Leanne muttered, as Adriana dragged her away.

'I love you cuz!' Willow pulled me into a hug. 'Sweet dreams!'

'You too.' I said, laughing at my drunk cousin.

'Night!' Lily grinned, walking off arm-in-arm with Willow and Amanda.

'Shall we head to bed too?' I asked Nathan as I turned back to face him. He didn't say anything. His eyes just looked into mine and he nodded. We walked hand-in-hand to our suite and as soon as I closed the door, Nathan's lips were on mine, his body pressed against mine. I ran my hands through his hair as he kissed me full of passion, his tongue exploring my mouth. Then he lifted me up, my legs wrapped around his waist as he carried me to the bedroom, his lips not leaving mine. He kicked the bedroom door shut and put me down, his lips still on mine. I moved my hands to work on his buttons, carefully undoing them and then sliding his shirt sleeves down until his shirt was on the floor. He unzipped my bralet and did the same, revealing my bra, our lips never leaving each other. Then his jeans were gone and then my skirt, and his lips left mine as he pressed his forehead against mine, his breathing quick and loud. He looked at me stood there in my pale pink silk underwear and I was thankful that I'd worn a matching set.

'I love you.' He whispered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

'I love you too.'

He smiled and then his lips were on mine again, his hands exploring my body. By the time we'd finished each other, almost an hour later, I was exhausted. Nathan lay beside me, sweaty and breathing quickly, as his hand caressed my cheek, a smile on his face. He didn't say anything but he didn't need to. It had been incredible. He hadn't been the least bit selfish. In fact, he'd been selfless, more worried about pleasing me than being pleased himself. I turned on my side to get a better look at him and he mirrored me, his hand moving to gently stroke the curve of my waist.

'I really am the luckiest guy in the world.' He whispered, a smile playing on his lips.

'Are you?'

'Absolutely.' He grinned and then I kissed him passionately before making love to him that time.

I wasn't sure what time it was when I woke up the next day but I was sure that there was an empty space beside me. I looked around the room, confused, and realised that Nathan wasn't in the bedroom or the bathroom. I grabbed his shirt, where it laid on the floor from the night before, and I buttoned it up covering my naked body, tiptoeing out into the living room. Just then, he came through the front door, carrying brown paper bags and coffee.

'Good morning.' He smiled, closing the door quickly behind him.

'Where've you been?' I asked as he walked over, planting a kiss on my nose.

'I got us breakfast. I didn't want to wake you.' He played with my hair, making me smile at the affectionate gesture. 'Shall we tuck in?'

'Sure.' I smiled. I grabbed the coffee and brown paper bags, placing them on the coffee table in front of the sofa. Nathan sound down beside me, turning on the television. The entertainment news was on and, no surprise, another star had got butt implants. 'Really?' I said, shaking my head in disbelief. 'Why would you do that?'

'No idea.' Nathan laughed. 'But don't think about it. You have a lovely bum.'

I laughed but the laughter stopped as a picture of us appeared on screen.

' _Last night, Lucy May rocked Ibiza Rocks with a very sexy surprise performance of 'Love me Harder' with singer song-writer Nathan Jones.'_ A video clip played and I blushed at the moves my hips were performing. Nathan grinned beside me and I shook my head at him. ' _The couple have been spotted enjoying the Ibiza romance more than once and have been rumoured to be dating since Ed Sheeran cheated whilst working in Australia. Ed was spotted performing an emotional cover last night of Bruno Mars' 'When I was your man.''_ Cue a video clip of Ed singing, looking all sorry for himself. ' _Is this about Lathan's relationship? Does Ed still love Lucy? We'll keep you posted.'_

'Oh, boy.' I whistled, adding sugar to my coffee.

'Are you all right?' Nathan asked, concern on his face.

'Of course.' I replied, honestly, smiling at him. 'We're Lathan right?' I teased.

'You know he's going to try and win you back right?' His expression looked sad.

'He can try as much as he wants but _you_ are the man I love.' I smiled, leaning towards him. I planted a kiss on his lips and he smiled against mine.

'I love you too.' He whispered, pulling me on top of him so that I was straddling his lap, only wearing his shirt. 'Now let's have a look at that lovely bum of yours.'

'So how's everyone feeling?!' I asked chirpily when Nathan and I eventually made it downstairs after a cold breakfast. I felt happy and relaxed and I wasn't even fussed about walking around in just a kaftan and a turquoise bikini.

'Eugh, too loud.' Willow groaned, burying her face in her beach towel.

'What?!' I teased, loudly and Leanne groaned, lobbing an empty bottle of suncream at me.

'How are _you_ not hungover?' Amanda sighed, adjusting her sunglasses as she looked at me.

'Some of us can handle our drink.' I said, patting Willow's back as I sat on the sunbed beside her. She swatted me with her hand.

'Yeah or it's because you had a lie-in.' Willow mumbled, her face inside the beach towel. Nathan shot me a cheeky grin and Leanne caught it, her eyebrows shooting in the air. She was on our wavelength. Ooops.

 _Behave yourself._ I tutted at Nathan in his head and he grinned even wider.

'Hi everyone!' The hotel events manager, Deano, greeted us with a wave and friendly smile. 'Are you all coming to the Rock Night party later?'

'Yeah.' Kyle nodded. 'I think so.'

'Sweet!' He turned to where I was sat, Nathan stood beside me. 'I've actually come to ask you two a favour. Three of the acts performing later have pulled out. Would you be up for it? It's just a single cover of your favourite rock song from any year. Drinks will be on me.'

'I'm up for it.' Nathan smiled.

'Me too.' I nodded. Might as well. I had the perfect song in mind.

'Sweet. It can get a little competitive though, everyone battling to get the crowd going.' Deano said with a cheeky grin.

'That's okay, I like a challenge.' I smiled wickedly at Nathan.

'As do I.' Nathan nodded.

'Uh oh, I feel a competition coming on and maybe a bet.' Lily said, nervously, looking between Nathan and I.

'Girls vs Boys?' I suggested.

'We'll kick your pretty little ass.' Nathan said with a cheeky grin.

'Girls?' I looked up at my friends. 'We've got a song to rehearse.'

We were in the recording studio ten minutes later, having jumped in before Nathan and the guys could. With the aircon on and our bikinis covered, I nibbled on the end of my pencil, trying to choose a song. And then it hit me.

'What about _I love rock and roll?_ ' I suggested.

'A good song choice.' Lily nodded. 'I can play it on base.'

I turned to Daisy. 'Guitar?'

'Sure.'

Then I looked at Willow. All she needed was to watch a Youtube video for it and she'd soak it up. 'Drums?'

'Erm, sure.' She replied casually.

'I didn't know you played drums.' Leanne said to my cousin with a smile.

'I'm multi-talented?' My cousin's response sounded more like a question than a statement. 'I'll just pop to the ladies.' To watch Youtube. But she wasn't going to let anyone else know that.

'And you guys can do vocals.' I said to Amanda, Leanne and Adriana.

'You know I don't sing in public unless drunk.' Leanne said, biting her lip nervously.

'Then I'm going to need the whiskey.' I winked. 'Come on girls, let's do this.'

We rehearsed most of the afternoon, only stopping for food and drink. Then we were happy. I told Nathan the girls and I were taking over our suite again and, surprisingly, he didn't mind. Housekeeping had been so the rumpled sheets had thankfully been tidied. We had a take-away from the restaurant and rifled through our belongings trying to decide what to wear.

'I've got nothing.' Lily sighed, frustrated. She was right. Her case was filled with florals and girly clothes, the most rockstar thing being a brown suede fringe waistcoat.

'Here, you're my size.' I threw her black denim shorts and a black crop top. 'Wear those with the waistcoat and your ankle boots.'

Daisy had opted for a grey studded vest with drop-down arms, exposing her black crop top, with denim shorts and black fringed sandals. Leanne was wearing a sequinned t-shirt and denim shorts, black wedges on her feet. Willow was in a tiny black tutu wearing one of my Rolling Stones t-shirts. Amanda was in denim shorts, a black crop top and an open red plaid t-shirt, long necklaces around her neck. And then Adriana looked the rock goddess in a Jack Daniels vest, leather shorts and plaid shirt tied around her waist. I looked in the mirror at my outfit; a black sequin mini skirt and a black bralet, a statement necklace around my neck, shoe boots on my feet and bangles up my arm. We looked like the perfect Rock girlband, like Haim or something. It was pretty cool. Amanda had done our make-up, giving us all smokey-eyes with perfect eyeliner and lipstick, whilst Leanne and Lily had focussed on our hair, scrunching and adding volume, backcombing so that even the girls with updos had volume.

I turned to Leanne. 'Need that whiskey yet?'

'Get me a glass when Nathan is performing.'

I grinned. I probably needed one too. We were performing second, just after Nathan. Knowing my boyfriend, he would set the bar high. And the girls would love it. They always did.

When we got to the poolside, where a mini stage was set up next to the water, the hotel was already buzzing with people, girls and guys, all dressed as rockstars. There was lots of leather, lots of tartan and lots of black. But everyone looked awesome, even those who were wearing their shades despite the sun starting to disappear, even more so now that it was nearing 8pm. Deano gave me a thumbs up and I nodded, signalling we were ready.

'Welcome everyone to our monthly Rock Night!' Deano announced into the speaker, cheerily. 'There's lot's going on tonight starting with our live show featuring some of your favourite stars. Then there's karaoke in the bathroom, open mic in the living room and there's a special guest set until 2am right here by the pool. Who's ready to rock?!' The crowd cheered, some of them clearly already drunk. 'Let's do this!'

Nathan walked out onto the stage looking dead sexy in his very tight black skinny jeans, baseball boots, Guns and Roses vest and biker vest. I sucked in a breath, hoping that my girl friends didn't notice as they stood around me, drinking their alcoholic beverage (Leanne on the whiskey, of course). Stood at the back of the crowd, I wasn't in Nathan's eyeline at first but he soon spotted me and shot me a sexy smile as his 'band', made up of Jake, Jesse, Kyle and Aidan, walked out onstage. Straight away the intro started and Nathan closed his eyes, singing a song familiar to the whole of the crowd.

 _'Tommy used to work on the docks_

 _Union's been on strike_

 _He's down on his luck..._

 _It's tough, so tough_

 _Gina works the diner all day_

 _Working for her man,_

 _She brings home her pay_

 _For love, for love_

 _She says, "We've gotta hold on to what we've got._

 _It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not._

 _We've got each other and that's a lot._

 _For love we'll give it a shot."_

 _Whoa, we're half way there_

 _Whoa, livin' on a prayer_

 _Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear_

 _Whoa, livin' on a prayer.'_

I knew he'd set the bar high. The crowd loved his performance and danced and sang along, filming the performance on their phones. I swallowed harshly, looking at Willow nervously and she shot me a reassuring smile, encouraging me. Deano called us over and we stood by the stage, just as the song came to an end.

 _Let's see what you've got sexy._ Nathan's voice filled my head and he winked at me as he got down off of the stage and we walked on. My heart hammered against my chest and I felt hot. I was glad I'd decided against my leather jacket. I reached the microphone and my friends took their places behind me as rehearsed.

Willow came in with the drums and then Lily was in with the bass, Daisy starting just after her with the guitar. I counted in silently and then I started to sing.

 _'I saw him dancing there by the record machine_

 _I knew he must have been about seventeen_

 _The beat was going strong_

 _Playing my favorite song_

 _And I could tell it wouldn't be long till he was with me, yeah me_

 _And I could tell it wouldn't be long till he was with me, yeah me.'_

Leanne, Amanda and Adriana came in with the chorus, providing harmonies and I was suddenly very thankful that my friends could sing in tune. The audience nodded and started to move, some singing along.

 _'Singing, I love rock and roll_

 _So put another dime in the jukebox, baby_

 _I love rock and roll_

 _So come and take your time and dance with me_

 _Ow!'_

The song went by without a hitch and we moved around the stage as we sang, dancing sexily and I even did a few tricks with the retro-looking microphone that I'd seen happen in movies. By the last chorus, everyone was singing, dancing and whooping as the girls and I moved our hips in time to our Joan Jett cover.

 _'I love rock and roll_

 _So put another dime in the jukebox, baby_

 _I love rock and roll_

 _So come and take your time and dance with me.'_

The crowd roared with cheering and applause and I looked up startled when I saw Ed Sheeran stood in the wings. Damn it, was he stalking me now? I ignored him, calling my friends to the front and we took a bow together before walking off the stage, completing ignoring my ex.

'Well it's safe to say we were bloody brilliant!' Leanne grinned and I nodded.

'Thanks ladies, this round's on me.' I smiled. 'It's safe to say we _rocked_.' I pulled the girls into a hug and they all smiled, happy with our performance.

 _'Coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine_

 _Gotta gotta be down because I want it all_

 _Started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?'_

'Oh, but of course. How typical.' Willow rolled her eyes and I couldn't help but agree. Of course Ed would sing Mr Brightside. It was part of his wounded soldier act. But what he wasn't realising was that it was _his_ fault. Although I couldn't help but feel glad it had happened. Nathan made me happy, he treated me like a princess, he loved me, he wasn't selfish in any way (bedroom included- not that I would say that to my friends). Nathan was great.

'Well he's getting predictable now.' Leanne said, agreeing with my cousin. I glanced over and realised he was looking at me. As were lots of the audience.

'Oh bloody hell.' I sighed, rolling my eyes. 'Come on ladies, let's go to the bar.'

 _'I just can't look its killing me_

 _And taking control_

 _Jealousy, turning saints into the sea_

 _Swimming through sick lullabies_

 _Choking on your alibis_

 _But it's just the price I pay_

 _Destiny is calling me_

 _Open up my eager eyes_

 _Cause I'm Mr Brightside.'_

'What can I get you?' The bartender asked me and I quickly ordered a round of shots and a cocktail for each girl. I sure needed it and I hadn't been drunk the night before. The bartender returned with our drinks and I paid with cash.

'Right ladies, here's to a fabulous and very sexy performance.' I said with a wink. '1, 2, 3.' We drank our shots and Lily winced, squinting her eyes.

'Crikey that was sour!' She said, her eyes half-closed.

'Never did well with shots, Lils.' Aidan said as he and the guys appeared beside us.

A familiar pair of muscular arms snaked around my waist and I smiled. 'Hey princess. I hate to say it but your performance was awesome.' He said, adding with a whisper, 'and damn sexy.'

I blushed, turning to face him. 'Yours wasn't too bad either.' I said playfully.

'Too bad? Everyone was dancing and singing! Give me a little credit.'

'Sorry, but didn't I knock you off the number one spot a few months back?' I teased.

'Mmmmhmmm.' He kissed me on the forehead. 'It's lucky you're so damn cute.'

 _'Now they're going to bed_

 _And my stomach is sick_

 _And it's all in my head_

 _But she's touching his chest_

 _Now, he takes off her dress_

 _Now, letting me go.'_

'His song choice is rather apt, huh?' Nathan said, looking tense.

'It's predictable. He's too predictable.' Kyle said to his friend, rolling his eyes. 'I've always thought that.

'I was kinda hoping he'd realise he's lost out and that he's made the biggest mistake of his life.' My boyfriend sighed, his eyes meeting mine. 'But I don't think he's going down without a fight.'

I wanted to kiss him, there and then. To reassure him. But I was afraid of looking like a bitch. Too many eyes were on me, including Ed's. I was always going to be angry. I was never going to understand him or forgive him. Ed deserved it. But I wasn't heartless. He'd lost me and realised he that he'd messed up, that was something. I wasn't about to rub my happiness in his face, as much as I wanted to. I'd always been raised to be the better person and that was just who I was going to be.

'Oh my god, that guy over there is totally looking at you!' I said to Lily later, nudging her from our position at the bar later that night.

She blushed. 'I'm sure he's just looking at you.' She glanced over her shoulder at the guy with the short, dark hair who was watching her. He smiled at her and she turned back to face me.

'Oh he's definitely not looking at me.' I told her with a playful grin. 'Go talk to him.'

'I couldn't.'

'You can.' I said. 'Go on Lily, you look great.'

She sucked in a deep breath. 'I can do this, can't I?'

'Yes.' I nodded, finishing my drink. She hopped off of the bar stool and tucked her hair behind her ear, walking over to the guy. I smiled as she shook his hand, introducing herself.

'Here, it's on me.' I turned around to see Ed holding out another bottle of beer for me, taking me by surprise.

I glanced around me, but my friends and boyfriend were elsewhere. Probably still hanging at the open mic in the 'living room' area. 'Erm, thanks.' I said, taking the bottle from him cautiously.

'So how are you?' He asked, a small smile on his lips.

'I'm good.' I replied, honestly. 'You?'

'I'm okay. Could be better, but you know.' He said with a shrug before taking a swig of his beer. 'Nice choice of song.'

'Thanks.'

'You seem to be doing pretty well for yourself. I'm proud of you.' His steel-blue eyes met mine and I looked away, feeling awkward. I spotted Aidan and Nathan walking into the room and they waved at me from across the crowd. 'Why him?' Ed suddenly said, his voice sounding pained.

'Because he's kind, funny and he loves me.' I replied, my voice just above a whisper. 'I have to go.' I started to walk away, but Ed grabbed my wrist, turning me to face him.

'I'll never give up Lucy. You're my soulfinder. We're supposed to be together and sooner or later you'll realise that.'


	24. Families

London was wet and miserable that week and it was hard to tell that it was nearing the end of June. The British weather was terrible and I couldn't help but miss Ibiza's warm sunshine and days by the poolside. Willow headed home with her parents and Nathan spent time with my parents and I, which was nice, before he spent the rest of June locked up in the recording studios, recording songs for his new album until late and night. He still made time for me, though and that really meant a lot.

'Lucy? Are you even listening?' Eric's voice snapped me out of my daydream on the final day of June. We were having a meeting at Warner, trying to decide on the next steps for me.

'Yes.' I lied, looking over at Eric.

'So a UK tour would be good exposure.' Jamie-Lee said, tapping something into her tablet. 'I've already been able to organise my dates for August. Smaller venues really for a starting point.'

'Sounds good. Book them all today and send me the details. Tickets to be released Friday.' Eric nodded. He looked over at Darren. 'How quick can you get a poster together?'

'I can have it done by the end of the day if I have the dates?'

'Great.'

I hated these meetings. It was always like I wasn't there. I was sat there, my opinion being ignored, whilst people spoke about me. A tour sounded good, though. I just hope it wouldn't change my relationship with Nathan. We were in a good place. The press was constantly posting pictures of us and I did miss the privacy, which was frustrating. But most fans loved Lathan (although others wanted me dead). And I loved Lathan too.

'Hey princess.' Nathan surprised me by appearing over the voicecom system that evening, not long after I'd got in.

'Hey, come on up.' I replied cheerily. I buzzed him in and quickly finished loading the dishwasher, before checking my appearance in the mirror; I was wearing black high-waisted jeans, grey crop top and an unbuttoned plaid shirt. Casual but cool. I pulled my hair out of its loose bun, letting it fall in curls over my chest just as the doorbell rang. I opened it quickly and smiled at the sight before me. Nathan Jones, looking handsome as ever with his green eyes, stubble and perfect smile, holding a bouquet of red carnations and white carmellias.

'Hey.' He said, planting a kiss on my forehead. I stepped aside, letting him in and closing the door securely behind him. 'These are for you.'

'You brought me flowers?' I said, suprised. 'What's the occasion?'

'No occasion, I just love you.' He grinned, handing me the flowers.

'I love you too.' I smiled. I walked through into the kitchen, finding a vase for the flowers. I pulled one out of the cupboard and filled it with water as Nathan took off his hoodie and bag, hanging them over one of my dining chairs. I placed the flowers in the water and turned on the kettle as his arms slipped around my waist.

'So how was your day?'

'Busy. You know Eric, he doesn't like me getting bored or whatever.' I replied, stifling a yawn. I'd had a meeting, then he'd wanted me to play him some new songs and then it was a quick photoshoot for my tour poster and flyers. 'What about yours?'

'Pretty successful, but it's even better now I'm here with you.' He whispered. I turned in his arms so that I was facing him and he pressed me against the counter, his hands on my hips.

'It's a lovely surprise.' I said, honestly, my eyes meetng his.

'Well I actually came here to ask you something.' He admitted, his right hand moving to caress my cheek. 'What are your plans this weekend?'

'Nothing at the moment but I'm guessing that's about to change.'

'My parents have invited us down for the weekend.' He said, his hand stroking my cheek. 'With four weeks until my sister's wedding, I guess they want some family time. Will you come with me?'

'To Lyme Regis?'

'You'd make the weekend so much better and mum and dad keep saying they've not met you properly yet, and Melanie wants you at the wedding but wants to meet you first.'

'Okay.' I smiled.

'Okay?' He smiled back, the smile that made my knees weak. He pressed his lips against mine, kissing me softly and then more passionately, pushing me up onto the kitchen counter. I moved my legs so one was each side of his hips and he pulled me closer.

I pulled away, breathless. 'I don't think we're going to be able to do this at your parent's house.'

He gave me a playful look. 'We can try.'

I felt shattered on Friday morning when Nathan picked me up in his flash sports car. I'd spent the week learning to dance, as Eric had thought it would make my live shows even better. It had meant though that my legs were achy. Luckily, as I climbed in his car, I felt surprised that I wasn't as sore as I had been. Nathan closed the trunk, securing my luggage inside and joined me in the front of the car. With a squeeze of my knee, we headed off for our four hour journey down south.

I'd been to Devon many times, on holiday with my parents, grandparents and even once with Willow. I'd seen Lyme Regis on the signs, but I'd never actually ventured there. As we reached the 30mph zone along the A3052, I knew we were nearly there. I held my hands together, nervously, and I couldn't help but feel a little sickly as houses started to line the streets. We passed a 'Welcome to Lyme Regis sign' and I sucked in a deep breath.

'Hey, they already love you.' Nathan said with a reassuring smile, squeezing my knee with his free hand. 'You've made their son the happiest guy in the world.'

I watched as Nathan continued along the road, passing car parks and the town centre and continuing to drive, the sea on my left. He exited the main road following a sign for the harbour and then continued on a quiet road with the odd house. Halfway down the hill we were driving down, there was a small road on the right and he slowed down, turning into it. Then he turned into a gravel driveway, in front of the house I assumed was his childhood home; a large white house with grey slate roof, over-looking the water and the harbour below. He grabbed my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it softly.

 _Let's go._ His voice said and he got out of the car. I unfastened my belt and let myself out as a brunette girl with straight, shoulder-length hair, who had to be Nathan's sister, raced out of the house, wrapping her arms around him.

'Nate, oh brother I've missed you!' She said, her accent almost West-Country.

'Hey Mel, long time no see.' He chuckled as she released him.

' _Too_ long. I know you're busy being famous and all but make some time for your little sister, sheesh.' She rolled her eyes but I knew she was joking.

'Mel, this is Lucy.' Nathan said, signalling to where I was stood awkwardly. 'Lucy, this is my crazy sister Mel.'

'I'm so glad I finally get to meet you!' She pulled me into a hug, surprising me.

'You too.' I said with a smile as she relieved me.

'Get your bags later,' Melanie instructed, 'everyone else is already here and inside.'

Nathan reached for my hand, interlocking our fingers as we followed his excited sister inside. Melanie led us into the living room, which had polished wooden floors and cream painted walls. There were two comfy, worn-looking three-seater brown leather sofas, a huge fluffy rug, a stone fireplace, a flatscreen television and then huge french doors which opened out into the garden, giving a lovely view of the sea and harbour. His family were sat down, chatting and drinking tea when we walked in and they became silent when they spotted us, making me nervous.

'Nate, Lucy!' Sandra, Nathan's mum, smiled with a greeting, pulling us each into a hug. I was passed along to his dad (Robert), his brother (Chase), his sister-in-law (Josie), and then introduced to his soon-to-be-brother-in-law (Sam).

'Uncle Nate!' A small girl of about six, with light-brown pigtails and bright green eyes, ran into the room, wrapping her arms around Nathan's legs.

'Hello Queen Sophia.' He picked her up in a hug and she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, in a loving gesture. The sight made my knees weak. It was adorable.

'I've missed you.'

'I've missed you too.' He said with a smile, kissing the top of her head.

'Eww.' She groaned. 'Put me down!'

He laughed, putting her down as a girl of about three walked into a room, hurrying over to Nathan. He bent down to hug her. 'Hello Grace.'

'Heya.' The little blonde smiled happily, the same green eyes. They had their dad's eyes, which were almost a replica of Nathan's.

'Sophia, Grace, I'd like you to meet-'

'Your girlfriend!' Sophia interrupted, smiling up at me. 'I've seen you on the telly.' She held her hand out for me. 'I'm Sophia, it's a pleasure to meet you.'

I laughed at the formality but I shook her hand anyway. 'It's good to meet you too.' Grace looked at me, nervously, and gave me a shy smile. She wasn't as confident as her sister but that was fine. I waved at her and she hid behind Nathan.

'Would you like a cup of tea?' Sandra asked me as Sophia ran back into the garden, Grace hurrying along behind her.

'That would be lovely thank you.'

Nathan unpacked his car after our cups of tea and then he led me up to the room we'd be sleeping in, which was the room he'd grown up in. It wasn't huge, but it was big enough for a wardrobe and a double bed. The room had light grey walls and the same polished wooden flooring that seemed to be everywhere in the house. The bed had a wooden headboard and was decorated with a white duvet, grey cushions on the top. There were two acoustic guitars hung on the wall next to a window which had a view of the ocean. It was homely.

'My first two guitars.' Nathan explained when he caught me looking at them.

'It's nice you still have them.' I smiled. I looked at the photographs on the windowsill. They were of his family. There was one of him with Sophia aged three and Grace as a baby and it made my heart melt a little. It was adorable.

'You've been very quiet. Are you okay?' He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

'I'm fine.' I said, smiling up at him.

'Dinner's ready!' Sophia announced dramatically, appearing in the doorway. 'Uncle Nate, are you going to sing for me later?'

'If you want.' Nathan replied with a smile to his niece.

'Awesome!' She ran off down the corridor and I laughed.

'She's cute.' I said as he pulled me closer to him.

'Yes she is. Too cute.' He placed a kiss on my forehead. 'Come on, let's head to dinner.'

Dinner with his family was nice. We all sat around a large table together, all ten of us, chatting and laughing and enjoying Sandra's delicious salmon dish. Then we all retired to the living room after dinner, whilst Josie put little Grace to bed.

'So what's next for you then, Lucy?' Chase asked me, pulling Sophia onto his lap.

'I've just had a UK tour announced for the end of August so that should be fun.' I replied. Tickets were selling pretty well, according to my text message from Jamie-Lee a few hours ago. That was promising.

'That sounds good fun! Is it your first headlining tour?' Robert asked, a friendly smile on his face. I felt more relaxed than I had done previously, although I still worried that they didn't like me.

'Yeah.' I said, shyly.

'You'll be great, you always are.' Nathan said from beside me, squeezing my hand.

'Uncle Nate, can you sing now?' Sophia whined, hopping off of her dad's lap. She walked over to us, pulling at his free hand.

'Sophia, we've just had dinner. Give your uncle some time to relax.' Chase tutted, shaking his head.

'But I like it when you sing.' She pouted, giving her best puppy-dog eyes, and I laughed. His niece was a fangirl in her own right.

'Come on then.' He sighed, standing up and sending me an apologetic look.

'Lucy has to come too.' Sophia said, grabbing my hand. I laughed and looked up at his family, who were watching me with friendly smiles. I stood up carefully and let Sophia lead us into the second reception room, the small one at the back of the house with a single television and some of the girls' toys in it. I spotted a soft toy of Elsa and a soft toy of Anna, which Nathan had bought the first time we'd been to Disneyland. I sat down on the sofa and Sophia pulled over a beanbag chair, perching herself on it as Nathan sat down with his guitar beside me.

'So what am I singing, Soph?' My boyfriend asked his niece.

'My favourite.' She grinned back at him, her pretty eyes sparkling.

Nathan's fingers started to move across the guitar and he smiled at his niece as he started to sing. _'You've got a friend in me_

 _You've got a friend in me_

 _When the road looks rough ahead_

 _And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed_

 _You just remember what your old pal said_

 _Boy you've got a friend in me_

 _Yeah you've got a friend in me.'_

When the song ended, Sophia and I both applauded Nathan and he bowed his head, jokily.

'Another one!' Sophia clapped her hands together, before turning to me. 'But you have to sing too!'

'Okay.' I nodded. 'What are we singing?'

'Beauty and the Beast!' She replied. I let out the breath I was holding. I knew that one, thank goodness. I glanced over at Nathan and he smiled as he started to play the chords of Tale as Old as Time. He nodded at me, signalling that I was starting.

 _'Tale as old as time_

 _True as it can be_

 _Barely even friends_

 _Then some body bends_

 _Unexpectedly.'_

Sophia watched us, grinning, as Nathan sang the next part of the verse. _'Just a little change_

 _Small to say the least_

 _Both a little scared_

 _Neither one prepared_

 _Beauty and the beast.'_

Nathan nodded again and we sang together, our voices blending together in that perfect way that they did, our voices almost dancing with each other. _'Ever just the same_

 _Ever a surprise_

 _Ever as before_

 _Ever just as sure_

 _As the sun will rise_

 _Tale as old as time_

 _Tune as old as song_

 _Bitter sweet and strange_

 _Finding you can change_

 _Learning you were wrong_

 _Certain as the sun_

 _Rising in the east_

 _Tale as old as time_

 _Song as old as rhyme_

 _Beauty and the beast.'_

When the song ended, we were greeted by applause and I looked up to see that Nathan's family were all stood in the doorway, watching us with smiles on their faces, clapping their hands.

Sophia squealed with delight. 'Uncle Nate, I'm sorry but Lucy is my favourite singer as well now!' She looked up at me. 'You're pretty like a Disney princess.'

'Thank you.' I laughed.

'Sophia, time for bed.' Chase said, his arm affectionately wrapped around his wife.

'But I'm not tired.' She replied with a yawn, clearly showing she was.

'Uncle Nate and Lucy will still be here tomorrow.' Josie added with a loving smile towards her daughter. 'Come on, otherwise you'll be too tired to go to the beach tomorrow.'

'Is it going to be sunny?' Sophia asked, her arms folded across her chest.

'It's supposed to be.'

'Okay then.' Sophia got up and hugged Nathan and then me. 'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight.' Nathan and I chorused.

I paused in the hallway after using the bathroom, listening in on the conversation in the living room, where Nathan was sat with his family.

'She's great, Nate. She's lovely and very pretty.' Melanie was saying.

'You really love her, don't you?' Sandra was asking, her voice sounding cheery.

'I do.' Nathan was replying. 'I've never felt this way before. It's actually pretty scary.'

'My kids are all growing up.' Robert sighed, although it sounded more like a sigh of content than of disappointment.

'Hold onto her, bro. Don't let her go.' Chase said.

'Oh don't worry, I plan on it.' Nathan said.

That night I felt content and relaxed. I got ready for bed first and then Nathan went into the bathroom after me, whilst I sat checking my emails and social media.

 _Lucy,_

 _London show has sold out. Tickets still available for others but looks promising. Spoken to Jessie J on the phone today. She wants you to do a collaboration with her and Nicki Minaj next week. I've said you'd love to. Just make sure you're back by Tuesday as that's your first day in the studio with them._

 _Eric._

My eyes widened. Jessie J wanted me to do a song with her? That was incredible! I loved her songs. She was an incredible singer-songwriter. Nathan appeared in the doorway in his boxers and I found myself giving his body a once-over. I loved his six-pack chest from working out and his strong arms and his tight boxers were showing me _everything_. I swallowed. We were in his parent's house. That was completely inappropriate. He closed the door, locking it behind him.

'Anything good?' He signalled to my Samsung tablet in my hands, completely oblivious of the wild thoughts I was having.

'Jessie J wants me to collab with her.' I replied, the excitement returning and buzzing through my veins.

'That's fantastic news!' He planted a proud kiss on my lips and I smiled.

'It is, isn't it?' I looked up at him, at his beautiful eyes which seemed to be looking into my soul. 'Do you think your family like me?'

The corners of his mouth turned upwards into a smile and he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. 'They love you.' He whispered. 'Just like I said they would.' His hand went up to my cheek, gently caressing it. 'What did I get right to deserve you?'

'Kept harassing me with spontaneous visits and flowers and trips to Disneyland?' I teased and he laughed, before making his face serious again.

'You know, from when I first saw you looking upset when you were out with your friends I knew I wanted to be the person to make you smile again.' His thumb gently stroked my cheek, sending electric shocks through my skin. 'And I did and now I've completely fallen for you. Everything you do, everything you say, everything you are. You're always on my mind when I wake up and when I go to bed. I'm yours for as long as you want me.' I smiled at him and he smiled back, before pressing his lips gently to mine, a loving, affectionate gesture.

We made love that night, and it really was making love. It was gentle and slow, but it was perfect. Nathan fell asleep beside me, naked, his arms wrapped around me. But I couldn't sleep. The familiar dizzy feeling was taking over me once more and I wished it wouldn't. It was going to ruin the most wonderful day. My vision became obscured and suddenly I was somewhere else.

 _Where was I? I couldn't tell. It was a park somewhere and it was raining. I didn't have a coat. My hands were cold so I rubbed them together for warmth. That was when I spotted it. The ring on my left ring finger. A beautiful silver band with a silver diamond, blue sapphires built into the band. Then I heard the gunshots ringing out._

I sat up in bed with a start, but thankfully I hadn't woken up Nathan. So I'd been engaged. To Nathan? I hoped so. I glanced over at him as I remembered the sound of gunshots. I really hoped that Nathan wasn't there. The man, lying beside me, was perfect. He loved me and showed me everyday, from tucking my hair behind my ear, to the soft expression on his face when he looked at me, to cooking me dinner or buying me flowers 'just because.' I was incredibly lucky to have him and he'd quickly become my whole world, filling the void that had been left by everyone's favourite ginger-haired singer. I sighed and laid back down, nestling up to Nathan, our bare skin touching. He instinctively wrapped his arms around me, holding me there, in my safe place.

My boyfriend wasn't beside me when I woke up the next morning. I stretched across the bed, finding an empty space beside me, and I opened my eyes to confirm that he wasn't in the room. Light seeped in through the blinds, showing me that the sun was shining over Devon. I had a quick shower and dressed in my white shorts and denim shirt, plaiting my hair to the side. Then I headed downstairs.

After a quick breakfast, Melanie, Sam, Sandra and Robert disappeared off to the wedding venue, where they were choosing the final menu for the big day. This left Nathan and I with Chase, Josie and Nathan's two gorgeous nieces.

'This is lovely.' I told Nathan when we all found a spot on the sandy beach, which was pretty busy thanks to the sunshine and warmer air. Parents splashed around in the sea with their children and teenagers laid around on the sand, sunbathing and listening to their music. I laid out my towel and sat down on it as Josie and Chase covered their daughters with suncream.

'It is.' Nathan smiled, nodding in agreement, as he sat down beside me. 'We spent most weekends down here when I was a kid.' He looked out thoughtfully at The Cobb, which was the harbour at Lyme Regis. 'I remember crabbing off The Cobb and my dad teaching me to sail.'

How wonderful, I thought. It was a lovely harbour. I'd grown up close to the sea too, and I'd spent a lot of time on the beach, although our local beach was always covered with shingle and seaweed and it was somehow less scenic. I adjusted my sunglasses, pushing them further up my nose, concealing my identity. I glanced at Nathan, trying to be subtle as I watched him pull his t-shirt over his head, revealing his perfectly carved muscles. He too was hidden behind his shades, although his star tattoo was almost a giveaway, especially since the photos released of our yacht trip in Ibiza.

'Can I draw on you?' Grace asked, appearing in front of us and pointing at Nathan's tattoo. I smiled at the innocence of it. With her curls, bright eyes and pink frilly hat she almost ressembled a cute china doll.

'That's not a drawing, it's called a tattoo.' Sophia pointed out, maturely, rolling her eyes at her sister. 'Loads of people have them. You can't wash them off, Grace.'

Nathan raised his eyebrows in surprise and Chase laughed at his daughter. 'So why don't we build a sandcastle?' My boyfriend suggested.

'Can we make it look like Cinderella's castle at Disneyland?' Sophia asked, exitedly.

'Uhm, we can try.' He smiled, getting up. Grace picked up the buckets and spades, dragging them across the sand to where Sophia had sat herself.

It was safe to say that it wasn't quite Cinderella's castle, but I was glad. Nathan was talented at a lot of things and it would have been too much if he'd been a good sculptist too. The day on the beach was lovely and equally exhausting when trying to constantly entertain two children. I definitely was not ready to have a family. That night we had dinner at a beautiful pub on the Cobb and then we spent Sunday making centerpieces for the wedding, before having a lovely homecooked roast dinner.

'Would you like to go for a walk?' Nathan asked that night, after we had finished helping his mum clean the kitchen.

I looked out of the window. 'In the dark?'

'Sure.' He smiled. 'Are you afraid of the boogieman?'

'Of course not.' I shook my head. There wasn't much I was afraid of at that moment. Only my vision. With the ring and the gunshot. 'Let's go.'

Nathan drove us out of the town and along the coast, eventually stopping down a dirt-track in a car park next to some woodland, which overlooked the sea. I looked out at the sea, glistening in the moonlight and I couldn't help but think that I would be freaked out if I didn't have my boyfriend beside me.

'This looks like somewhere a murder might take place.' I chuckled as we got out of the car.

He snaked his arms around my waist and sighed. 'I'm offended. This is my favourite place to come to think.'

'Even in the dark?'

'Sure.' He smiled, pressing his lips to my forehead. 'No one ever really comes out here. It's like my own private beach. Come on.' He held his hand out for mine and I took it, allowing him to lead me down a steep path, to a small, secluded cove. We reached the sand at the bottom and I looked up at the cliff faces surrounding us. Again, it was beautiful but almost creepy.

'I bet the water's cold.' I whispered, watching it lap against the damp sand a few metres away from us.

'Only one way to find out.' He grinned, pulling his t-shirt over his head.

I raised my eyebrows. 'What are you doing?'

'Having a cheeky swim. Are you joining me?' He slipped off his shoes and tucked them into his rucksack, pulling out two towels. He'd been planning this clearly.

'It will be freezing. It's not like we're in Ibiza anymore.'

'Spoilsport.' He stuck out his tongue and hooked his thumbs around the top of his boxers, pulling them down.

My eyes widened. 'You're _skinny dipping_?'

'Sure. I've never been brave enough before. You make me want to do crazy things.'

'That is crazy.' I swallowed, trying not to gawp at his naked body stood beside me.

'Join me?'

'I don't think so. I still have my common sense.'

He looked thoughtful for a moment, stood cupping his privates. 'I dare you to skinny dip.'

My jaw dropped as he grinned. 'Why would you do that?'

'Because for some crazy reason you never turn dares down. Isn't that how we first met, huh?' He winked at me and I sighed, pulling my dress over my head as the cool wind whipped against my skin.

'You suck.'

He didn't say anything. Instead he watched as I unfastened my bra, letting it fall to the ground. I took off my matching briefs and attempted to cover myself using my arm and hand. He gave me his adorable smile the world (and I) loved so much, holding his hand out for mine. Then we ran. I squealed as we ran into the cold water and he kept tugging me until it was just deep enough to reach my shoulders. I gasped in the cold, goosebumps covering my skin and my teeth chattering.

'It's frrrrr...eeeee...zzziing.' I gasped as Nathan wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling my naked body against his. He pressed his lips to mine, passionately, and I sank into the kiss, trying to block out the cold as his lips moved against mine. It made me feel electric, but the cold wasn't budging. Was it possible to get frostbite from cold water?

'Come on, we've knocked skinny dipping off my bucketlist.' He smiled, kissing my forehead. 'Let's get out before you turn blue.' He led me out of the water and threw me a towel, which I wrapped around myself as I shivered. Nathan threw our clothes into his rucksack. 'Let's go on up to the car and I'll put the heater on to help us dry off.'

I was thankful for the heat of his fancy sports car and I felt myself starting to defrost as I sat, wrapped only in a towel and blanket, on his sleek, leather passenger seat as warm air poured out of the fan.

'That better?' Nathan asked, his eyes locked on mine.

'Much.' I replied, feeling less like a snowman and more like a human again. I looked at him, his eyes watching me intensely. 'What?' He pulled me onto his lap and started kissing me passionately, his hands sliding under the towel and onto my warming naked body.

And that was how we ended up making love in his car.

'Oh my god, Lucy May, it's an honor to meet you!' Jessie J said to me that Tuesday morning when I walked into Abbey Road Studios, which was exciting in itself. Being in there with Jessie J was even better. She pulled me into a hug.

'An honor to meet me?' I scoffed. 'You're one of the greatest songwriters ever.'

'Oh please.' She laughed. 'You'll be overtaking me soon enough.'

I glanced up in surprise as Nicki Minaj walked into the room in her usual skin-tight clothing, showing off her hourglass figure which I was sure was not natural in the slightest. Breast implants and butt implants seemed likely.

'Oh right, Nicki, this is Lucy, Lucy this is Nicki. She's going to be on the track with us too.' Jessie smiled, introducing us. I held out my hand for Nicki and she fist-pumped it instead of shaking it. Fair enough.

'Your voice is sweet.' Nicki told me, a friendly smile on her face.

'Thank you.' I replied, smiling nervously. A track with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj? Really?

'Let's go into the studio.' Jessie said to us both. 'I'll sing it through and then you can hear the song and give me some feedback. I'd like you on harmonies and second verse.' She turned to me. 'Let's go make a number one single.'

By late afternoon, I'd already learnt the verse and I was rehearsing it with the two huge artists I was lucky to be sharing the studio with. I adjusted my headphones as the music changed and it was my time to come in, _'She might have let you hold her hand in school_

 _But I'mma show you how to graduate_

 _No, I don't need to hear you talk the talk_

 _Just come and show me what your Momma gave (Oh yeah)_

 _You've got a very big shh_

 _Mouth but don't say a thing_

 _See anybody could be good to you,_

 _You need a bad girl to blow your mind.'_

'Can we stop there?' Jessie said into her mic, cutting me off. She gave me an excited smile. 'That was great. This is going to be great! Are you available tomorrow?'

I was available all week for this recording. Eric had made sure of it. 'Yes.'

'Great. Maybe we can start recording! I'll give my producers a call.' She smiled. 'I'll text you the dets?'

'Sure.'

London felt strangely muggy when I walked out of the studio that evening and into the rush hour. Cars were packed on the road, between buses, all desperate to get around. I was thankful I'd decided to get the tube.

'Hi Miss May.' Matt said, appearing at my side as I reached the road.

'Lucy.' I corrected him as always. He was always going to refer to me formally. It was something I'd have to get used to. We crossed the famous crossings used by The Beatles, passing tourists posing for photos, and I slipped on my sunglasses and adjusted my straw trilby, concealing my identity.

'Are we back here tomorrow?' Matt asked me.

'Yes. I'll let you know the details later.' I replied with a smile.

'Oh my god, Lucy May!' A teenage guy called out, his friends turning to face me. So much for the shades and hat.

'I love your music!' One of his male friends gushed.

'And your wardrobe!' A female friend added.

'Thank you.' I smiled.

'Can we please have a selfie with you?'

'Sure.' I replied, casually. They surrounded me, squishing in for a photo as they snapped away.

'Can you sign this?' One of them held out a notepad and I signed it quickly.

'Come on Miss May, let's get you home.' Matt intervened, guiding me away from the crowd and leading me round the back of a housing estate. 'I don't think we're going to be getting the tube today, do you?'

The record label's car dropped me off at my apartment not long after six and I was relieved when I unlocked the door to the block of flats. It had taken almost an hour.

'Hi Lucy.' My elderly neighbour, Karen, greeted me with a smile as I passed her door.

'Hello Karen. How are you?'

'I'm good thanks. Just seen you on Taylor Swift's new music video.'

Of course. It had been released overnight. I'd completely forgot. 'Oh cool.' I smiled. She disappeared into her flat and I reached my door, pausing when I saw a package on the floor. A long box. I squinted down to inspect the handwriting but it had been typed. I scooped up the box into my arms and unlocked my door, brushing the letters away with my foot so that I didn't tread on them. After closing and securing the door behind me, I picked up my post and collapsed on my sofa, glad to be somewhere I could relax. I started with the letters first, which were mostly bills. Then there was one which made me smile.

 _Lucy,_

 _You are invited to Glamp Melanie for a weekend of fun before the wedding! Come and join the other Babes in the Woods for a weekend of adventure, laughter and wine. Please see the attached packing list for what to bring and meet me at:_

 _Glamp Melanie , Herston Campsite_

 _Swanage_

 _at 16:00 on Friday 15th July_

 _Please RSVP,_

 _Melanie_

It was one week away but it sounded great fun. I sent Melanie a quick yes text without needing to think. I liked Nathan's family and I wanted to spend some more time with them. I looked at the box sat in my lap. Had my wonderful boyfriend decided to send me a gift again? I wasn't sure. I untied the ribbon and lifted the lid, revealing a beautiful bouquet of cream and red roses. The flower of love. I ran my hands over them, feeling the velvety petals, and then I picked up the card.

 _Your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me_

 _But bare this in mind it was meant to be_

 _I'll always be there, fighting my corner,_

 _Ed x_

So he hadn't been kidding about trying to win me back. I felt angry and irritated. I picked up the box of flowers, throwing them straight into the bin. How dare he send me flowers and quote the love song he'd written about me. I picked up my guitar and started to strum as the lyrics poured into my head.

 _'Why are you singing me love songs?_

 _What good is a love song?_

 _What good is a love song without the love?'_

The following week things with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj were working super fast due to upcoming music festivals, which they'd both be playing at. Their tight schedule meant that we'd finished the recording by Thursday on Monday and Tuesday we shot the London parts of the music video. I'd spent Monday in the company of some dancers, who'd been hired to be my 'friends', whilst I rolled around on the bed and danced around the bedroom in some incredibly tiny white hotpants, a white lace crop top and the highest white heels I'd ever worn, my hair pinstraight and my make-up vibrant. It had been okay but between the song lyrics and my sexual dance moves, I knew it was going to be another song my parents refused to listen to, even if it was going to be a success thanks to Nicki and Jessie.

Then Tuesday night, we were on location on a rooftop in London. It was supposed to have been New York, but they'd found the perfect spot and a reasonable cost so they'd decided to shoot in London. It saved us all flying over to the city, when only Jessie would need to do that for her part. My outfit was just as revealing as the previous day; a co-ord set consisting of a pink, silver and white sequinned mini skirt and crop top, the same killer heels on my feet. My hair and make-up was kept the same too, which made me a little confident until I remembered I would be dancing. On a rooftop. Doing a dance I'd only learnt earlier that day. Brilliant. Not.

They shot Nicki's arrival by helicopter and her lip-synching to her rap quickly, whilst Jessie and I sat on the sidelines, tapping our feet to the recording from the previous week.

'You've been great to work with.' Jessie told me, her smile genuine. 'I think it's going to be a hit.'

'I think so too.' I smiled, trying to ignore the fact that the 'hit' was far away from the pop-rock stuff I was used to doing. And even further away than my performance at the Bluebird in Nashville just over seven months ago.

'We'll have to get together to do some live performances.'

'Sure.'

I looked up at the dancers, performing their routine with precision. They moved around quickly and perfectly in time. I wasn't ever going to be that good at dancing. I didn't have the coordination for it. I just hoped it didn't show.

'It's me, Jessie, and Lucy

If they test me they sorry

Riders umph like Harley

Then pull off in this Ferrari.'

How did she rap so fast? I couldn't speak that quick without it coming out like complete nonsense. I had to hand it to her, her rapping skills were something else.

'Okay, cut!' The director called. 'Jessie, Lucy, rest of the dances, get in shot please.'

I stood up and Jessie J shrugged out of her gown, revealing a sequinned zebra-print dress more revealing them my outfit. The high slits in it told me she wasn't wearing underwear. Brave woman. Nicki rushed off to change her outfit whilst we were given instructions.

'Okay so you're dancing and having a party on a roof in New York city.' The director told us. 'You need to lip synch along too, which you've all done well so far.' He grabbed me. 'Lucy, you stand here. Jessie, in the middle and then Nicki on the far side.' Nicki returned in record breaking timing, this time in a yellow mini skirt and a multi-coloured bra. It was an unusual look, but Nicki Minaj didn't do highstreet. Or subtle. 'Let's give it a shot.' The director said, returning to his chair behind the cameras. 'Action.'

It was all over about 1am and I was exhausted by the time I got home. I glanced over my shoulder as I closed the door to the block of flats and I frowned at the silhouette of a figure watching me. Was it Ed? Or was it Rich? I hoped it was neither. I shuddered, shutting the door firmly behind me and heading to bed.

'So when were you planning to tell me you're BFFs with Nicki Minaj and Jessie J?' Leanne asked me on the phone on Friday lunchtime, as I packed for my glamping weekend with Nathan's family.

'We're hardly BFFs.' I scoffed, scanning the list.

 _Sleeping bag, towel, torch, wellies, festival headgear, party outfit, onesie, pyjamas, Disney fancy dress costume, swimwear..._

'Then why are photos of you on their Instagram accounts?'

There were? We'd taken some pictures together but I'd not even checked Instagram over the last few days. I'd been _exhausted._ Video shoots, photoshoots, album artwork shoots... It had been mayhem. When I'd told Eric I'd be going away for the weekend he'd not been impressed, but he couldn't say no. I needed some time off. 'We've been recording together.' I explained.

'What?!' She shrieked, her voice a higher pitch than normal. 'And when were you going to tell me?!'

'When I next saw you.' I replied, although I'd not even thought about it. So much was going on all the time now, some things just didn't seem important. 'I didn't want to be boastful.'

'This is big, Luce! I had no idea they were into the whole pop-rock stuff.'

'It's more pop. And it's a bit suggestive.' I told her, tucking my phone between my ear and shoulder as I folded up a towel, tucking it into my weekend bag. 'And before you say it, I know it's not really me but it was too big an opportunity to turn down.'

'That's fair enough.' She said and then paused. 'Just remember your music, Luce. _Your_ music is great. Don't lose that.'

'I won't. I promise.' I replied, although I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep that promise up.

'You know, you really didn't need to drive me.' I told Nathan as we sped out of the motorway, heading for Dorset.

'I have to tell my mum and sister not to share any embarassing stories about me.' He winked. 'Besides, I'm heading down South for the stag do anyway.'

'Ah yes, the stag do.' I replied, taking off my sunglasses as the sun disappeared behind a crowd. 'Where is it you're going, again?'

'Bristol.' He said with a cheeky grin. 'Should be a crazy weekend.'

'Mmmhmm.' I raised an eyebrow.

'Don't worry, there won't be any skinny dipping.' He said, squeezing my knee. 'I'm hoping you won't be either.'

'Of course not. I've been put off that for life after turning blue.'

'But what happened after was... incredible.' He licked his lip at the memory and I blushed as I glanced at the backseat in the wingmirror. I'd never look at his car the same way again.

 _Glamp Melanie_ was signposted from the road just outside of Swanage, and Nathan turned down the track through the forest until we reached a clearing, with a huge 'Welcome to Glamp Melanie' sign. There were five white bell tents, with bunting decorating each of them, a fire pit in the middle. There were four wooden cabins spread around behind the tents and then a large wooden decking area with picnic benches, a barbecue and two hot tubs next to a large tent marked 'Living room.'

'Now this is my kind of camping.' I said as I got out of the car.

'This is not camping.' Nathan shook his head. 'Are those beds I can see in the tents?'

'Lucy!' Melanie appeared from nowhere, pulling me into a hug. She popped a pink flower crown onto my head and I smiled at her version; hers was white with a little veil attached to the back of it. 'I'm so glad you could come.'

'The place looks great.' I told her with a smile.

'Of course, it's glamping!' She beamed, before turning to face her brother. 'Did you not see the sign?' She pointed at a sign marked 'No boys allowed.'

'I guess I don't need to worry about strippers then, huh?' He said, cheekily, and his sister rolled her eyes.

'You have to go now. You're banished.'

'Banished?' He raised an eyebrow.

'Come on, haven't you got to get to Bristol?' She whined.

'Fine.' He laughed. 'But no embarassing stories and don't scare Lucy off, okay?'

'I can't make any promises.' Melanie grinned wickedly.

Nathan bent down and kissed me softly on my lips before passing me my bags. 'Have a good weekend.'

'You too.'

'Come on,' Melanie linked arms with me, 'you have to meet everyone.'

I was last to arrive, so it seemed. There were ten of us in total; me, Melanie, Sandra (Nathan's mum), Rozina (the groom's mum), Josie, four of Melanie's best friends, and surprisingly, Lily.

'Hey, Lu!' Lily smiled, pulling me into a hug. 'How are you?'

'I'm good thanks, how are you? What are you doing here?'

'It's my brother Melanie's marrying.' She smiled, sheepishly. 'So I'm head bridesmaid.'

Of course. Lily and her family had known Nathan's family for years. Melanie had a proper fairytale romance. Grow up together, fall in love young and then get married.

'I hope you don't mind,' Lily continued, 'but I said maybe you'd share a tent with me?'

'Sure.' I smiled. She took one of my bags and led the way. Our tent was in the middle, decorated with blue floral bunting and fairy lights. Inside were two mattresses with pillows and a bedside table between them, with a full-length mirror. One of the beds already had a blue sleeping bag on it, so I placed my floral sleeping bag on the free one as Lily put down one of my bags. Then we returned to the festivities.

'So tonight,' Lily announced to everyone as we sat around drinking hot chocolate, 'we have dinner reservations in town at an Italian in Poole and then we're off to a cocktail master class and wherever the night takes us.'

'Sounds great!' Marie, one of the other bridesmaids, said with a smile.

'Poole?' Melanie squinted. 'How are we getting to Poole?'

'Oh you'll see.' Lily grinned. 'But first we have to get ready. We're off in an hour.'

So that was where the Disney costumes came in. We'd all been assigned a character we supposedly looked like, which was interesting to say the least. Lily was a cute Cinderella, in a knee-length Cinderella dress, which hardly surprised me with her fair skin and blonde hair. Melanie was a sexy Snow White, a veil on her head. Then there was Tinkerbell, Aurora, Jasmine, Ariel and the two mothers had dressed as a pretty cool Anna and Elsa. I, however, had been assigned Belle and I almost felt like her in my yellow off-shoulder fancy dress costume, with a dip-hem at the back, my curled hair in a half updo. Then we were off.

Our 'ride' for the evening was a 16-seater party bus, complete with disco lights and loud music. It was pretty crazy, but Melanie looked happy and that was the main thing. The drive itself took about 40mins, which wasn't bad when you were in good company. Everyone was chatting and singing along as we drank a bottle of champagne. We arrived in Poole shortly after and headed straight for dinner at a cute little Italian place.

Then we headed to a cocktail bar, which was where the fun really started. Maitai was bigger on the inside then the outside and due to being a Friday night, it was fairly busy. The bar was dimly lit with white leather bar stools in front of the bar and leather booths elsewhere. We were led towards the back of the bar, where there was a private space cleared for us and our masterclass. The masterclass lasted about an hour and it wasn't long before the effects of drinking mixed spirits was getting to everyone, mostly Sandra.

Melanie walked over to me as our bar was opened up to the public, draping her arm over my shoulders. 'Are you having fun?' She asked, a huge smile plastered onto her face.

'Absolutely.' I replied, returning the smile.

'Maybe one day we'll be sisters! How cool would that be?' She grinned and I thought back to the vision I'd had. Maybe we would be.

'Don't scare off the poor girl, Mel.' Sandra tutted. 'We promised Nate that we'd behave.'

Becca, one of the bridesmaids, glared at me and I frowned. She'd not spoken to me at all since I'd arrived. If anything, she'd avoided me. Melanie caught her glaring at me and shook her head, making her bridesmaid look back at Lily and continue her conversation with her.

'Did I do something? Or say something?' I said, puzzled.

Melanie rolled her eyes. 'Becca and Nate were together like three years. They got together after college and broke up last year. I think she still has feelings for him, but she cheated so...' She trailed off and I swallowed. Becca was stunning. She may not have had crazily long legs like me but her body was a perfect hourglass shape and she had a very pretty face; piercing blue eyes, plump lips and shiny blonde hair.

'So how come she's your bridesmaid?' I asked, my head cocked to the side. I probably wouldn't have asked her if I hadn't been drinking. Liquid courage and all that.

'Becca and I have been friends since school. She's one of my best friends, although she nearly wasn't after screwing my brother over like that.' She frowned but then the corners of her mouth lifted up into a smile. 'Let's forget about this and drink.' She called over the bartender and ordered some drinks, but I couldn't help glancing over at Becca in her tiny Aurora costume and feeling a little jealous. She was perfect. I wasn't surprised Nathan had dated her.

'Now this... this is more like it.' Lily sighed as we sank into the jacuzzi in the campsite's mini spa the following afternoon. We'd all woken up feeling hungover and even a full English fry-up hadn't been enough to take away the headaches and stuffy feeling from the night before.

'Eugh my head!' Melanie groaned, sliding into the jacuzzi beside me.

'It was a good night, though.' I smiled.

'It was but I'm thankful for a chilled evening here later.' She turned to Lily. 'What do you have instore?'

'Now that would be telling.' Lily smirked, stretching her petite frame out in the water. I glanced over at the jacuzzi next to us, where Becca and Marie were sat, chatting away. Becca met my eyes and glared. I sighed. 'Ignore them.' Lily tutted. 'I know Becca's our friend, Mel, but she's really irritating me at the moment with her rudeness.'

'I know.' Melanie sighed. 'I'll have a chat with her later. She's just jealous that Nate's moved on and is crazy in love with you.' She gave me a reassuring smile and I blushed. 'But you knew that already, didn't you? He doesn't just sneak off in the middle of the night with _anyone.'_

I blushed even more, remembering what had happened that night. The skinny dipping... the love-making in the car. 'Everyone was asleep.' I said, quietly.

'That's what you thought, huh?' She teased. 'Not a lot gets past me. I might be his younger sister, but I know a lot more than people think.'

That night, we were told to get into our best festival attire. As I changed into my sundress, cowboy boots, flower crown and warm, baggy cardigan, Lily bit her lip, nervously.

'What's up?' I asked her, leaning my head to one side.

'I hired a band for a gig tonight. They're really good. Festival-kind of Indie stuff from Brighton, you know? I just hope Melanie likes them.' She ran a hand through her pin-straight hair and then placed her flower crown on top of her head.

'Lily! The band's here!' Sandra called out.

'Band?! What band?!' Melanie squealed with excitement from across the campsite somewhere.

'Ah sheesh. I'll see you in a bit?' Lily slipped out of the tent as I finished applying my make-up.

My phone buzzed and I picked it up, surprised to have my first text of the weekend from Nathan.

 _Hey my beautiful princess, hope my family haven't scared you off yet? Miss you and love you, N xxxx_

I smiled and quickly replied, jumping when I heard my name being called. 'Coming!' I replied. I grabbed my phone and headed out into the cool air, which was filled with the smell of a barbecue. On the decking, next to the jacuzzis, a band were setting up their instruments whilst Sandra and Lily hurried around, finishing decorating the area with bunting and fairylights.

'Did you borrow your granddad's cardigan?' Becca muttered as she attempted to pass me, wearing a tube dress and heels.

'Yeah totally. Didn't you get the memo? We're not clubbing, we're having a music festival.' I smirked as her stilettos sank into the grass and I passed her, leaving her sinking. She was pretty but maybe she didn't have a single brain cell in her head.

'Lucy?' I froze at the sound of a familiar voice. One I didn't want to hear. I turned to see my ex, Rich, stood holding a stomp box.

'What are you doing here?' I asked, bitterly, and he could only smile as I felt nauseous.

'You know the guys and I do private events. We have done for years.' He replied, casually. It was true. _The Cartwright Brothers_ had asked him to join as an honorary member a few years previously. Rich could play the drums. He had good rhythm. It's a shame his personality and singing voice were lacking. 'It's great to see you though.'

'I wish I could say the same.' I replied, bluntly.

'So how do you know the bride-to-be?' He asked, cheerfully.

'I'm dating her brother.'

His smile dropped and he frowned. 'Of course. Nathan Jones. Sleeping your way to the top again I see. I thought you might have learnt after being cheated on by Ed Sheeran, my least favourite ginger.'

I tried not to flinch even though his words stung. 'Nathan is nothing like Ed.'

'Of course not. He's not your soulfinder.' But he was. Although I wasn't about to say it.

'Lucy! I've been looking everywhere for you!' Melanie appeared, an excited look on her face. She glanced at my less-than-happy expression and her eyebrows furrowed together. 'Are you okay?'

'Absolutely.' I replied, giving her a fake smile. She didn't know me well enough yet to recognise when my smile was false. Unlike her brother, who had me all figured out. 'Come on, I'm starved.' I lied, linking my arm through hers. 'Let's get some food.'

I was on edge the whole night and I forced myself to eat, even though I was worried the food would come back up. I sipped at my beer, wanting to hide from everything but, at the same time, not wanting to be hungover when Nathan picked me up the following day. After performing lots of covers, which the girls seemed to love, the band joined everyone by the campfire. I headed back to the tent, desperate to get away from Rich's sleezy stares he kept on firing my way. My eyes filled with tears as I crawled into the tent, wrapping my blanket around myself.

'Luce, you've been weird all evening.' Lily's head appeared in the tent. 'What's going on?'

'Nothing.' I lied, biting my lip and glancing down at the phone in my hand. No messages or notifications.

'Liar.' She whispered, closing the tent door behind her. 'Melanie might believe that smile you've been doing all night but I don't.'

I sighed. 'Rich is my ex.' That was all I was saying. I didn't want to go into detail.

'Rich as in drummer for The Cartwrights? Oh god, I'm so sorry.' She apologised, her eyes softening. 'I didn't realise.'

'It's okay, I don't really talk about it.' I gave her a small smile. 'I'd just like to keep out of his way.'

'That's understandable.' She sighed.

'Lily! Where art vow?!' Melanie called in a sing-song voice and Lily glanced at me, worry etched on her face.

'Go.' I told her. 'I'm tired so I think I'm going to have an early night.' She looked at me, concerned. 'Honestly, I'll be fine.'

I must have drifted off to sleep not long after that, because it was gone midnight when I woke up and Lily was snoring softly behind me, lying on her back with her arms stretched above her head. I tossed and turned on the mattress but I couldn't seem to switch off. I pulled my Minnie Mouse onesie on over my pyjama shorts and vest, slipped on my boots and headed out into the cold night air. The fairylights twinkled, but other than that, the site was filled with darkness. It was almost creepy. I grabbed some food from the kitchen and sat myself on the picnic benches, looking up at the stars. Since I had started dating Nathan, I'd become quite interested in constellations. We often sat out in the dark, looking up at the beautiful night sky and it felt relaxing doing so. My heart ached and I realised I missed him.

'Lucy?'

I froze at the familiar voice. 'What are you still doing here?' I asked as Rich stepped into the light.

'We were all drinking with the girls so we thought we'd stay the night.'

'Of course you did.' I said, bitterly. 'You know, I could file a restraining order against you.'

'I'd like to see you try, darling.' He grinned, a grin that made me shudder. Why had I ever dated him? And why had I dated him for so long? 'I don't think that onesie is your best look.'

'I don't care what you think.' I replied, bitterly and he raised his eyebrows.

'When did you get so firey? It's kinda hot.' He stepped towards me and I jumped up.

'Do you really want a broken nose? Because honestly, that's the way you're going right now.'

'You wouldn't do that, gorgeous.' He reached out for me and I stepped backwards. 'I still don't understand why you don't see that we're meant for each other.'

'Because you're an arrogant dickhead who gets off on hurting and _raping_ women.' I bit back. A car started heading up the gravelly road and lights shone onto the campsite. Who the heck was arriving at this time of night?

'It's not rape if you're my girlfriend.'

'It is if the girlfriend says _no_.' I said, my voice slightly louder and higher pitch before. I backed away until my back thumped against the wall. He had me cornered. Again.


End file.
